Tom Brady is going to bat for his old coach ... saying it's not Bill Belichick's fault the New England Patriots are having a terrible season right now.
TB12 addressed the state of his former team in an interview with Stephen A. Smith this week ... where he was asked whether it was time for BB to move on to a new team after more than two decades in Foxborough.
Brady -- who won six Super Bowls with Belichick -- had nothing but positive things to say about the mastermind .