There are two plays that still haunt Bill Belichick.
Despite winning six Super Bowls and coaching one of the NFL’s greatest dynasties, the highly competitive coach has never gotten over watching his teams get burned by two of the best quarterbacks in league history.
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The first involved Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and their revered San Francisco 49ers in 1988.
When Belichick was still a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, the coach remembers a painful game in which a two-minute drill completely exposed his defense.
“We’re going fast,” Belichick said. “We’re not really set.”
Montana turned to a quick count to catch New York unaware.
” He hits Rice down the sideline and we lose the game,” Belichick said. “That still drives me crazy.”
The legendary coach saw the same football traits in Montana that he later saw in Tom Brady.
“He’s one of those guys, just like Tom, whatever it takes, that’s what he does,” Belichick added.
Brady, sitting alongside his former coach, laughed as he said his Patriots teammates were well aware of what Montana and Rice did to Belichick’s old Giants defense.
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“Our team has seen that play many times,” he said.
The second play that still haunts Belichick was just as painful.
New England initially got the best of the Indianapolis Colts during a great AFC rivalry.
But Peyton Manning used his legs to burn the Patriots one time and Belichick still recoils at the memory.
“Oh my God,” Belichick said. “He has a bootleg run against us on fourth and 1. He keeps the ball.”
The quarterback sprint was the longest run the Patriots’ defense allowed all season.
“To Peyton Manning,” Belichick said. “How embarrassing was that?”