Defensive failures doom New England

Eagles pile up points, yards by run, pass, trickery.

So many times this season New England’s defense made plays when it had to give Tom Brady and the Patriots’ offense a chance to win. But it couldn’t figure out the Philadelphia Eagles in a 41-33 loss Sunday night at the Super Bowl.

The 41 points the Patriots allowed were more than they have given up in any other Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick era. They also surrendered 613 total yards, including 373 through the air to game MVP Nick Foles. LeGar- rette Blount, a former Patri- ots running back, rushed 14 times for 90 yards and touchdown.

The Patriots’ offense did its part. It didn’t punt and had no turnovers through three quarters. After playing from behind most of the night, Brady gave New England its first lead of the game, 33-32 on a 4-yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski with 9:22 to play.

But on the ensuing drive New England safety Devin McCourty couldn’t keep Zach Ertz from stretching the ball across the goal line for an 11-yard touchdown recep- tion from Foles that wound up being the game winner.

The Patriots entered the game with 159-15 record, including 16-0 in the playoffs, when they had won the turnover battle. They had the first one of the night, on an interception by safety Duron Harmon in the first half.

But they played with a different lineup against the Eagles on Sunday, with starting cornerback Malcolm Butler benched in favor of Eric Rowe.

Butler missed a day of practice last week with an illness. He warmed up and was in uniform, but didn’t play. It was the first Patriots game in which Butler did not play a first-quarter snap since their Super Bowl win over Seattle to cap the 2014 season.

Asked about the change during the television inter- view at halftime, Belichick

said it was a coaching decision.

“I made the decisions that give us the best chance to win,” he said.

Wi t hout Butler, New England’s defense — and particular the secondary — had trouble keeping Foles

and Philadelphia’s offense in check.

The Eagles punted only once and converted on a pair of fourth downs.

Rowe struggled early, giving up three catches for 66 yards, including Foles’ first touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery.

But New England’s secondary got the first turnover of the night when Jeffrey struggled to control a deep pass from Foles near the goal line. Stephon Gilm- ore got a hand on it and juggled it before it wound up in the hands of Harmon.

Philadelphia used some trickery, facing fourth-and-goal on the 1 with less than a minute to play in the half.

After a timeout, the Eagles got the ball to Trey Burton on a reverse, and he flipped a pass to a wide-open Foles for a touchdown.

JONATHAN DANIEL / GETTY IMAGES The Eagles’ Alshon Jeffery makes a catch against the Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore. Jeffery caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown.