Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was asked Wednesday to compare Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons to Giants legend Lawrence Taylor.
As far as Belichick is concerned, that’s a waste of time.
“I think comparing players like that, it’s not really — I would just say, I wouldn’t put anybody ahead of Lawrence Taylor, period,” Belichick said, according to Pro Football Talk. “Now, maybe I’m prejudiced, but I mean, I saw that guy every day for over a decade and he tilted the field for a decade.
“So, until somebody does that — and there’s a lot of great players and I’m not taking anything away from anybody else, there’s a lot of great players that have been in this league, that are in this league.
“But personally, I’m not putting anybody ahead of Lawrence Taylor. Not yet.”
Belichick won his first two Super Bowl rings as Giants defensive coordinator, with his game plan revolving around Taylor.
The 10-time Pro Bowl selection was named 1986 NFL MVP and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
The Patriots head coach was asked about Taylor and Parsons ahead of New England visiting Dallas on Sunday.
Belichick noted that it’s hard to compare Taylor and Parsons because of the schemes their teams used, noting what the Cowboys do today is different from the defense he ran with the Giants.
“Lawrence played outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. These guys don’t even have a 3-4 defense. Not saying they should, but that’s just totally different. … Parsons is really a defensive end,” Belichick said.
“They intentionally move (Parsons) around,” Belichick continued. “They play him on the end of the line in different combinations — to the field, to the boundary, to the tight end, to the left, to the right, to the open side, whatever the formula is. So, you know what you’re getting there.
“And then they do play him some off the ball in pass-rush situations. And then they play him a little bit at linebacker — not much, but a little bit. But most of the time he’s on the end of the line of scrimmage.”
Belichick noted the Patriots will have to be aware of Parsons “wherever they put him,” and with good reason.
The 24-year-old was named Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021 after collecting 13 sacks.
He followed that up with a super sophomore season, registering 13.5 sacks.
As a result, Parsons was named an All-Pro each year while also earning Pro Bowl honors.
This season, Parsons is off to a hot start with four sacks in the Cowboys’ first three games, including one in the season-opening win versus the Giants and two the following week against the Jets.
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