NFL Note - New England Patriots Butler, Malcolm

Sep 20, 2017 - 1:42 AM CB Malcolm Butler, the Super Bowl XLIX hero, is not off to a strong start and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn't sing his praises. "Look, we're into a new season, so I don't think anybody's performance this season is really where it needs to be or where it will be," Belichick said when asked if Butler is performing as consistently this season as he has shown him in the past. "We all need to do a better job -- players, coaches, all of us, across the board. So hopefully, we'll all continue to get better during the course of the year. That's why we practice and meet and come in here and work hard, so hopefully, we'll all be able to improve." Butler, who has seen his role decrease, played in just 49 of his team's 65 defensive snaps in Sunday's 36-20 win over the New Orleans Saints. His number of snaps might have been lower had Rowe not left the game with a groin injury.