Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders Refuses To Admit Patriots’ Malcolm Butler ‘Shut Him Down’

Denver Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders finished Sunday’s 16-3 loss to the New England Patriots with three catches for 48 yards, and was heavily criticized for his performance by fans, who believed Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler “shut him down.”

Broncos’ Emmanuel Sanders Refuses To Admit Patriots’ Malcolm Butler ‘Shut Him Down’

Sanders, unsurprisingly, was not pleased by this assertion, and took to Twitter Monday morning to silence these fans:

Butler finished the game allowing one completion for 21 yards on three targets in his direction, via NESN.com. He was not the only one to cover Sanders for all of Sunday’s game, however. Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan was also covering Sanders when he managed his first interception of the season.

Patriots safety Devin McCourty was asked about Sanders’ tweet in an appearance on CSNNE’s “Quick Slants” with Tom E. Curran and former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo. McCourty gave Butler (and the rest of the team) much credit for his performance on Sunday, but also threw a jab at the Broncos:

“Malcolm did what the game plan called up,” he said. “There were times when he was out there and he was one-on-one with Emmanuel Sanders and he does what we expect him to do every week. To criticize his play probably shows more of what [Sanders] was receiving from Twitter and being out there, going on the internet and seeing people saying Malcolm Butler shut him down. Malcolm didn’t say anything after the game. … I think they’ve got more to worry about than what Malcolm Butler did.”

The Broncos allegedly got into a heated “offense vs. defense” shouting match sparked by cornerback Aqib Talib and tackle Russell Okung following the game on Sunday. Head coach Gary Kubiak told Lindsay Jones of USA Today that the incident was “not a big deal” and “just frustration” after a major defeat.

The Broncos (8-6, 3rd in AFC West) continue to seek a playoff berth, while the Patriots (12-2) have clinched their division title for the eighth straight year.

DENVER, CO – JANUARY 24: Emmanuel Sanders #10 of the Denver Broncos warms up prior to the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on January 24, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)