NFList

Belichick tops list of defensive coordinators

By Joel Buchsbaum, Contributing editor
As published in print Dec. 20, 1999

Bill Belichick

We asked our panel of NFL insiders to name the best defensive coordinator in the league. Here is a summary of their responses, which were made anonymously:

1. Bill Belichick, Jets — "He won two games for the Jets this year with his game plans. Almost always seems to be one step ahead of the game and rarely shows you the same thing. Gets into quarterbacks’ and offensive coordinators’ heads. Hard to read and harder to beat. Now that Fritz (Shurmur) is gone, (the title of best defensive coordinator) is between ‘Little Bill’ and Dom Capers."

2. Dom Capers, Jaguars — "Look what he has done with the Jaguars’ defense. Look what he did with the Steelers’ defense. The master of the zone blitz. Nobody is more meticulous, and it pays off."

3. Monte Kiffin, Buccaneers — "Never has gotten the credit he so richly deserves. His game plan against the Seahawks (in Week 12) was a masterpiece."

4. Dave McGinnis, Cardinals — "Good all-around coach. Good (with) X’s and O’s and (has) good people skills."

5. John Fox, Giants — "Does a really nice job of developing players and fitting them into his defense. Sets the tempo for his players, and they seem to respond to him."

6. Dave Campo, Cowboys — "His defense has kept them in a lot of games for the past few years, and earlier this year he held the group together without Deion (Sanders) and Leon Lett."

Others receiving votes:

Jim Haslett, Steelers; Joe Pascale, Chargers; Willie Shaw, Raiders; Ted Cottrell, Bills; Greg Robinson, Broncos; Emmitt Thomas, Packers; Jim Johnson, Eagles; Vic Fangio, Colts.

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