Legendary LB Lawrence Taylor awkwardly sidesteps Bill Belichick’s Patriots crisis debate with Tom Brady

Bill Belichick is a first-ballot Hall of Fame head coach whenever he steps down from coaching. However, the 2023 season has been the worst one of his 24 seasons with the Patriots. There are rumors that the three-time AP Coach of the Year and the team could part ways after the season.

Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor played six seasons under Belichick when he was the Giants defensive coordinator (1985 - 1990).

Taylor appeared on former Patriots great Tom Brady's 'Let's Go' podcast, talking about the head coach but not wanting to discuss New England's season. He said:

“I never thought Bill Belichick was going to make it because when Bill Parcells gave up the defensive coordinator’s job and became head coach, he named Bill Belichick as the defensive coordinator. And I was pissed. I mean, I was like he’ll mess it up. How are you gonna let the special teams coach be the defensive coordinator?"

Taylor concluded:

“Parcells explained to me how most of the defenses that Belichick incorporated were his design. It was all his design. And I had no I had no problem with that. When we go into a game, I have no problem with the defense we're going to run because if Belichick says it's going to work, nine times out of 10 it will.

“He's a good coach. And he's having some problems now. Because, well, he had some problems when you [Tom Brady] left but we're not gonna talk about that.”

Bill Belichick won two Super Bowls as the New York Giants defensive coordinator with Taylor. This season, the New England Patriots (2-10) are far from a Super Bowl team and will be the 71-year-old's fourth losing season in New England. Last season saw the Patriots finish with an 8-9 record.

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Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady makes for distressing reading

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady after winning one of their six Lombardi Trophies

Brady and Belichick spent two decades together in New England and will go down as the greatest quarterback-head coach duo in NFL history. They won 249 games, made 13 AFC Championship game appearances, and nine Super Bowl appearances with six Lombardi Trophies.

However, things changed when Brady left the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The legendary quarterback won his seventh Super Bowl in his first season with Tampa Bay in the 2020 season. As for New England, they finished with a 7-9 record that season.

Belichick has a 27 - 36 record (including playoffs), with one playoff win since Brady left the franchise. Nonetheless, no one can take their successes together, as both will be donning gold jackets in Canton.