4. Name Patriots safeties coach, Stephen Belichick the new defensive coordinator
The Patriots defense this season has been ranked amongst the top in the league for the entire year. So when news broke, that Bill Belichick’s son and safeties coach, Stephen Belichick was calling the defensive plays for the team, the buzz surrounding the younger Belichick hit frenzy levels.
The Patriots ranked 21st overall last year in total defense, so taking the leap to become the top rated defense in the NFL is an impressive feat for the new defensive play caller of the Patriots. The defense has been so good, that it has been mentioned in the same breath as elite defenses like the 1985 Chicago Bears, 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 2013 Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, the Giants were ranked 23rd overall last season and are currently ranked 26th out of 32 teams this year. Adding a sharp defensive mind like Belichick would certainly go a long way in helping dig the Giants defense out of the basement of the NFL.
Clearly, the 34-year-old Belichick has learned a thing or two from his genius father, who is arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history. Bill Belichick first made a name for himself as the defensive coordinator of the Giants, the team in which he coached in some capacity on defense from 1979-1990. It would be fitting if Stephen Belichick were able to land his first defensive coordinator position with the same team that his father did decades ago. While it remains a longshot that the Giants could pry Stephen Belichick away from his father and the Patriots, they would be wise to at least inquire about it.