Patriots' Belichick Compares Cowboys' Micah Parsons to GOAT Pass Rusher?
Throughout his career, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has had the privilege of coaching some truly special players.
In fact, Belichick believes he has coached the best offensive player, defensive player and special teams player in league history, those being quarterback Tom Brady, linebacker Lawrence Taylor and receiver Matthew Slater, respectively. Belichick worked with Brady and Slater on the Patriots, but of course, he worked with Taylor before hand as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. The Hall of Fame linebacker forged one of the most dominant careers in NFL history, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards and being one of only two defenders to ever win MVP.
Normally, Belichick tries to shut down any comparisons to Taylor, and he's usually justified in doing so. When it comes to Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, though, Belichick has sung a different tune. During his most recent appearance on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show, Belichick compared the Cowboys star to the defensive GOAT.
New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons side by side.
“Like every great player, he’s pretty good at everything,” Belichick said. “He’s got a lot of power. He’s very fast. He’s long. He’s very athletic so he’s a hard guy to cut (block). He’s a hard guy to knock off the ball. And he plays all over. So finding him, that’s No. 1. He could be inside. He could be outside. He could be on either edge. He’s a big, physical player that’s very athletic and quick. Along the lines of a (Lawrence) Taylor. That kind of athlete.”
Belichick always shows opponents the respect they deserve, but considering how averse he normally is to making Taylor comparisons, this one feels different.
Asked to expound on those thoughts Wednesday morning, Belichick tapped the brakes a bit.
"I wouldn't put anybody ahead of Lawrence Taylor," he said, "period."
With how dominant Parsons has been, though, it's hard to argue with Belichick's assessment. The Cowboys star has had at least 13 sacks in each of his first two seasons, and he has been an All-Pro selection both times as well. Parsons is off to another terrific start this season, as he has four sacks through three games and is currently the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.
The Patriots face off against Parsons and the Cowboys on Sunday, and with how shaky New England's offensive line has been, it will be an extremely tough test.
