Stephon Gilmore, who rose to stardom after being drafted by the Buffalo Bills, achieved his greatest success under Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Recently, Gilmore took to social media to praise Belichick, particularly after watching “The Dynasty: New England Patriots,” a docuseries chronicling the team’s Super Bowl era.
In reflecting on his time with Belichick, Gilmore subtly referenced a notable achievement against the Bills, suggesting that one of the greatest moments came against his former team.
Former Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore reminisced about watching the docuseries “The Dynasty,” which brought back memories of Bill Belichick’s defensive accomplishments. Gilmore felt that the series didn’t fully highlight Belichick’s coaching prowess. One particular highlight for Gilmore was Belichick’s game plan that effectively neutralized the high-powered Los Angeles Rams offense in the 2018 Super Bowl.
In a series of posts on X, Gilmore praised Belichick as the greatest coach he’s ever been around. He emphasized that despite the perception of the Patriots as predominantly a man-to-man coverage team during the 2018 season, they switched to zone coverage when facing the Rams in the Super Bowl
Stephon Gilmore also recalled another game against the Bills where Belichick instructed the team to exploit the weaknesses of Buffalo’s quarterback. Gilmore mentioned that Belichick advised him to play a trail technique in Buffalo because the quarterback struggled to throw against the wind. Despite the discomfort of playing trail technique as a cornerback, Gilmore successfully shut down the Bills’ top receiver, holding him to zero catches.
Although Gilmore didn’t mention the quarterback by name, it’s unlikely to have been Josh Allen, as Belichick has consistently praised Allen’s arm strength since he entered the league. In all likelihood, Gilmore was referring to the team’s previous starter, Tyrod Taylor, who had difficulties in a windy game against the Patriots in 2017.
Stephon Gilmore’s departure from Buffalo in free agency marked the end of his five-season stint with the Bills after being selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. His exit seemed to evoke mixed emotions, as he took to social media to express his excitement about playing on national television with the Patriots.
“My People finally going to get to see me play on tv. #Patsnation#aboutthattime,” Gilmore wrote on X, then known as Twitter.
While Stephon Gilmore earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Bills in 2016, his most impressive seasons occurred in New England under the guidance of Bill Belichick. In 2019, he led the league with six interceptions and 20 passes defended, which earned him the prestigious Defensive Player of the Year award.
Additionally, Gilmore experienced success on the grandest stage, winning a Super Bowl under Belichick’s leadership. In the Patriots’ 13-3 victory over the Rams, Gilmore delivered a standout performance, making an interception, forcing a fumble, and adding three passes defended and five tackles.