FOXBORO — At today's press conference, coach Bill Belichick stressed the core defensive principle he learned from his father, Steve Belichick, who was a coach and scout, and Bill Parcells, a Hall-of-Famer with whom Belichick coached as an assistant with the Giants — tackling.
"The most important thing is to get 11 guys on the field who can tackle," Belichick said, who noted probably the best he's coached is former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
As for today's Patriots, Belichick named safeties Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung.
"Devin McCourty is an outstanding tackler," Belichick said. "Chung is one of the best tacklers that I've had at safety.