Pepper Johnson served as the linebackers or defensive line coach for the New England Patriots from 2000-13, ultimately leaving when it became clear that he wouldn’t serve as defensive coordinator under head coach Bill Belichick. Johnson spent 2014 with the Buffalo Bills under Doug Marrone and 2015-16 with the New York Jets under Todd Bowles.
Johnson sat down with Deadspin for an extended Q&A session and he didn’t hold back any punches when comparing the success of the Patriots with the terrible coaching in the AFC East. Johnson also opined on why he thought Belichick benched cornerback Malcolm Butler in Super Bowl LII and the value the Patriots gained from SpyGate.