Stephon Gilmore Defends Bill Belichick's Coaching After Watching 'The Dynasty'

The All-Pro cornerback spoke out in defense of his former coach.

Stephon Gilmore / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Stephon Gilmore spent several excellent years playing for the New England Patriots. The free agent cornerback spent four seasons dominating the boundaries at Gillette Stadium, winning the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award. Most importantly, Gilmore played a key role in the Patriots' utter domination of the the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII. He spent the best years of his career in New England.

It should therefore not come as a surprise that Gilmore is among the former Patriots who believe Bill Belichick was not done right by The Dynasty. The Apple TV documentary has received plenty of criticism for its focus on the scandals and negativity around the Patriots' 20-year run atop the football world, and a few former players have spoken out against the light Belichick is painted in. On Friday, Gilmore joined the group.

The multi-time All-Pro posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he had watched the documentary and disagreed with the portrayal of Belichick. To prove his point, Gilmore provided a few examples of the coaching genius that he experienced. It is both a strong defense of his former coach and a fascinating look into how Belichick's mind works.

Just watched The Dynasty. Bill was the greatest coach I’ve ever been around. Don’t let that fool you. I’ll never forget we were a predominantly man team during the 2018 season all the way up to the Super Bowl. When we played the Rams we switched to Zone.

— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) April 12, 2024

No coach would switch what they did all season in a big game like that

— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) April 12, 2024

Or Him telling me to play trail technique in buffalo because the Quarterback can’t throw against the wind when i was following a big time receiver. If you ever played corner that’s not a good feeling playing trail technique. I shut the WR down to 0 catches .

— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) April 12, 2024

New England's switch from man to zone in the two weeks of practice they had in the lead-up to the Super Bowl has been dissected in great detail already, but it is still something to behold when spelled out so clearly. The "trail technique" tweet is a reference to the infamous 2021 game against the Buffalo Bills where winds were gusting so strongly that the Patriots won, 14–10, despite Mac Jones throwing three passes all game.

A fascinating look into the mind of Belichick and the players he coached. And, once again, another critique of The Dynasty.