Getty Colin Kaepernick gets tackled by Stephon Gilmore during an October 16, 2016 regular season game between the 49ers and Bills.
The Buffalo Bills drafted cornerback Stephon Gilmore and helped turn him into a star, but his best days came under Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
Now Gilmore is recalling what it was like to play for the defensive guru, sharing some big praise for Belichick on social media while offering a subtle dig at the Bills. Gilmore opened up after watching “The Dynasty: New England Patriots,” a docuseries airing on Apple TV+ that highlighted the team’s Super Bowl era under Belichick.
As Gilmore recalled, one of the greatest accomplishments came against an overmatched Bills team.
Former Bills Cornerback Recalls Win in Buffalo
Gilmore said his viewing of the docuseries brought back memories of Belichick’s defensive accomplishments, which he felt were underplayed in the series. For Gilmore, a high point was the gameplan Belichick developed to grind the high-flying Los Angeles Rams offense to a halt in the Super Bowl in 2018.
“Just watched The Dynasty. Bill was the greatest coach I’ve ever been around,” Gilmore wrote in a series of posts on X. “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.”
Former Patriots defensive player of the year and Super Bowl champion Stephon Gilmore on Bill Belichick and the Patriots documentary:
“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…
Gilmore recalled another game against the Bills where Belichick advised his team to pick on the deficiencies of Buffalo’s quarterback. As Gilmore wrote, the game ended with Buffalo’s top receiver being shut down.
“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,” Gilmore wrote on X. “If you ever played corner that’s not a good feeling playing trail technique. I shut the WR down to 0 catches .”
Though Gilmore didn’t name the quarterback, it likely was not Josh Allen as Belichick has been high on his arm strength since Allen entered the league.
“He’s big, he’s fast, he’s got a strong arm, he’s accurate,” Belichick said of Allen during his rookie season in 2018, via CBS Boston.
Gilmore could have been referring to team’s previous starter, Tyrod Taylor, who struggled in a windy loss to the Patriots in 2017.
Stephon Gilmore’s Messy Exit From Buffalo
The Bills selected Gilmore with the No. 10 overall pick in 2012 and he spent the first five seasons of his career in Buffalo before leaving in free agency to join the Patriots. Gilmore appeared to harbor some mixed feelings upon his exit, taking to social media to express his happiness with being able to play on national television.
“My People finally going to get to see me play on tv. #Patsnation#aboutthattime,” Gilmore wrote on X, then known as Twitter.
Though Gilmore was named to the Pro Bowl with the Bills in 2016, his greatest seasons came in New England under Belichick’s guidance. He led the league with six interceptions and 20 passes defended in 2019, earning Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Gilmore also won a Super Bowl under Belichick — and had a monster game while doing it. The cornerback made an interception and forced a fumble in the team’s 13-3 win over the Rams, adding three passes defended and five tackles.
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