Missing Malcolm

A key cog in the Patriot's secondary was absent as eagles backup quarterback, Nick Foles torched New England for 373 yards and three touchdowns, en route to a Super Bowl win for Philadelphia.

Two years ago, no-name defensive back, Malcolm Butler stepped in front of Russell Wilson's pass and snagged a game winning interception on the goal line, to seal a Super Bowl win for the Patriots. Now a household name and all-pro cornerback, Butler is involved in another Super Bowl storyline.

After playing more snaps than any other Patriots defender in the 2017-18 season, Butler did not see the field for a single defensive snap in the Super Bowl. The exact reason for the surprise last-minute benching remains unclear, amid several rumors including a marijuana-related incident and an absence from team gatherings.

Unsurprisingly, Butler was not happy about the benching. With apparent prior knowledge of it, he stood with his heads in his hands as he fought back tears during the national anthem.

Third year cornerback and former Eagles draft pick, Eric Rowe got the start in Butler's place and was exploited early. Nick Foles and the Eagles targeted Rowe repeatedly in the first half as the young corner gave up several plays. Despite a slight bounce-back by Rowe in the second half, there was no doubt that Butler was missed. In a high-octane offensive shootout, the Patriots simply couldn't get a stop.

If the Patriots had won, the story perhaps may have been lost in the shuffle, but in a tough loss a spotlight was directed on Butler and his teammates, as well as the coaching staff. It showed, as tensions flared post-game.

"They gave up on me," Butler said. "I don't know what it was. I guess I wasn't playing good or they didn't feel comfortable. I don't know. But I could have changed that game."

Often, coaches as successful as Patriot's head coach Bill Belichick are never questioned, and for good reason. Belichick has made countless moves that have left people speechless and confused, yet for some reason they always seem to pay off. After awhile, no move is doubted, and every move is embraced. Sitting Butler, as the Patriots secondary was continually torn to shreds, play in and play out, is questionable.

Butler now faces free agency and with this controversy, it's easy to see him in a new home come next season. Texan's receiver, Deandre Hopkins and 49er's receiver, Pierre Garçon have already begun recruiting.

A bite out of the Big Apple

New York Knicks' star forward, Kristaps Porzingis joins the ranks of fallen NBA players, leaving the Knicks' future in Limbo.

After a surprisingly strong start to the 2017 NBA season, the Knicks tailed off. Kristaps Porzingis tore the ACL in his left knee on Tuesday night during a 103-89 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, and now the Knicks season is effectively over.

Several NBA stars sent their condolences over social media.

The injury can be seen below.

With the offseason trade of Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Porzingis was given the opportunity to be the go-to guy for the first time in his three year career. Porzingis impressed, earning his first all-star bid as he filled up the stat sheet.

Not only does this injury end the Knicks season this year, but it will greatly impact the 2018 season as well. As with most ACL tears, Porzingis is expected to miss nearly a full 12 months, which means he won't be back till mid-way through next year. On top of that, it remains to be seen if he can return to his current all-star level of play when he does return.

The injury puts the future of the Knicks in question. Barring a miracle, the Knicks will miss the playoffs this year. On top of that, it's hard to see the Knicks doing enough this offseason to ensure a playoff run next year with only a half season of Porzingis.

The Knicks will likely get a mid-lottery pick in June's NBA Draft, somewhere between picks seven and twelve. It's a good range, but a range that may lack the star-power of the top-five. Porzingis' contract expires this summer and it would be shocking if the organization doesn't resign him to a max or near-max deal. Assuming they do, this will leave a less than satisfactory amount of salary cap room, and certainly not enough money to sign another star to pair with Porzingis, even if they could convince one to come given the team's lack of success recently.

The Knicks have a few young players that have shown potential including rookie point guard, Frank Ntilikina who flashed nice chemistry with Porzingis as they graded out as one of the league's best duos in terms of advanced stats. In addition, sharpshooter, Tim Hardaway Jr. is an up-and-coming guard in the league. Check out his career best performance from earlier this season, here.

By now it's clear, despite the injury, the Knicks have a star to build around in Porzingis. They won't be competing anytime soon, but it is imperative they use the next year and half to make smart roster moves so that when Porzingis is back at full health, they can compete for the playoffs in the 2019 season.

Red Tornado

The St. Johns Red storm stunned the basketball world this week as they won back to back games against AP top-10 opponents.

After a strong 10-2 start to the season, the St. Johns Red Storm hit a wall in conference play, losing every game.

This past Sunday however, the Red Storm stunned the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils in Madison Square Garden. After facing a seven-point first half deficit, they stormed back in the second half, outscoring the Blue Devils by eleven. Sophomore guard, Shamorie Ponds dropped a game-high 33 points, including a dagger three-point shot with 40 seconds left. St. Johns didn't stop there.

Three days later, St. Johns returned to conference play as they faced the number one ranked team in the nation, Villanova, in Philadelphia. Again, Shamorie Ponds led the way, scoring 26 points, and again the Red Storm pulled off the upset. This time it was St. Johns who had the lead, and unlike Duke protected it, as Villanova fell 79-75, for only their second loss this year.

A Tale of Two coaches

Patriot's assistant coaches, Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels were in the news this week, as one took a Head coaching gig in Detroit and the other in Indianapolis... just kidding.

Patriot's defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia who was rumored to take the head coaching job for the Detroit Lions, confirmed his hiring this several days ago, following the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles. After a stint with the University of Syracuse in the early 2000's, Patricia was hired by the Patriots in 2004 and later assumed defensive coordinator duties in 2012.

Josh McDaniels was also rumored to take up a head coaching spot. Early Tuesday, it seemed he would be the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The deal looked as good as done until McDaniels met with Patriot's head coach, Bill Belichick. The exact details of the meeting have not been confirmed, but whatever Belichick said convinced McDaniels to stay, spurning the Colts, lighting the sports world ablaze with hot takes.

Belichick reportedly told McDaniels he would spend more time with him on "the inner workings of the Patriots," which would include roster and salary management. This could come in handy for McDaniels if he does decide to leave the embracing arms of the Patriots organization in the coming years. Clearly, Belichick was not ready to let his disciple go, as he promised to completely revamp his mentorship of the 41-year-old offensive coordinator.

Many sports figures took shots at McDaniels due to his last-minute back-out. Former Colts coach, Tony Dungy had some choice words over twitter.

The Colts reportedly had an inkling that McDaniels could back-out and already have a list of backup candidates. They will resume their search in the coming weeks.

THE NBA TRADE DEADLINE: twitter edition

The cavs roster revamp, point guards on the move, the pistons add depth, and more

Cavs shake things up

The Cleveland Cavaliers made three different trades on Thursday. Here is a simplified look at the players on the move.

Traded: Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert and Jae Crowder.

Received: Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, George Hill and Rodney Hood

two former first-round point guards find new homes

Still awaiting Frank Ntilikina's development, the Knicks traded for Emmanuel Mudiay from the Denver Nuggets as part of a three-team deal which included the Dallas Mavericks. While Mudiay has largely been underwhelming after being picked seventh in the 2015 draft, the 21-year-old freak-athlete still has plenty of potential.

The Phoenix Suns also made a move, as they landed a true point guard, something their roster has lacked since trading Eric Bledsoe earlier this season. Luckily for them, it only took a second-round pick to land Orlando's Elfrid Payton.

The pistons make a pair of moves for a late playoff push

In separate deals the Pistons moved Willie Reed and Brice Johnson in return for Jameer Nelson and James Ennis.

other small moves

The Chicago Bulls traded cash for Noah Vonleh.

Atlanta Hawks trade a second-rounder for guard, Sheldon Mac.

New Orleans Pelicans swap Dante Cunningham for Bucks' Rashad Vaughn.

Layups: a quick roundup of the remaining news

Jimmy G gets paid

After starting only five games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, he hit pay dirt earlier this week. Jimmy Garoppolo's five-year deal is reportedly worth 137.5 million in total. Evidently the Niners saw everything they needed to in those five games and have found their quarterback of the future.

Signing Day

Highlighted by crying children, unhappy parents, and nightmare-inducing chucky dolls, national signing day 2018 was full of drama and laughs. Check out the full highlights below.

Eagles championship parade

The Eagles' Super Bowl parade took place this week and offensive linemen, Jason Kelce stole the show with his hilarious five minute rant and over-the-top getup.

2/9/18

- All photos courtesy wikipedia commons.