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I happen to think Bill Belichick definitely belongs on this list, in fact I believe that what Bill Walsh was to Offense-Bill Belichick was to Defense.
Thinking back to when my 49ers won 5 Super Bowls, won 10 games for 16 consecutive seasons and won the most regular season games in both the 1980s and 1990s- there were two teams that always presented huge problems. 1) the Dallas Cowboys of 1992-1996 a team Bill Walsh called the best team the Forty Niners ever played and 2) the New York Giants of 1984-1990.
The main reason the Giants were so tough was their defense. Bill Belichick was their defensive coordinator in those years and even though he had the best set of linebackers in NFL history, he developed schemes and game plans to defeat the best NFL offenses. I 'll never forget that 7-3 49er victory on Monday Night Football (I had 50 yard line seats-both teams were 10-1) two great defenses. Unforunately Roger Craig was on the tail end of a great year and we lost in the NFC Championship 15-13, giving up only Field Goals.
What was so impressive about Belichick's defense that year was he totally stopped the yards after the catch which proved decisive in an upset 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills-a team that had scored 51 points in the AFC Championship and was a touchdown favorite (I remember because I lost a bet.)
Flash forward to 2003 and 2004 and the amazing Indianapolis Colts offense with Peyton Manning. Belichick's defense shut down the NFL's most prolific offense in the post season two years in a row-while winning 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons. Give the man his due!
For the Record my top 5:
Bill Walsh
Vince Lombardi
Chuck Noll
Bill Belichick
Paul Brown
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