The NFL’s best cornerback made what Bill Belichick called one of the best plays of this New England Patriots season Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Early in the second quarter of New England’s 13-9 victory at Gillette Stadium, Stephon Gilmore tracked Amari Cooper across the field on third-and-2 and made a diving interception a pass intended for the Cowboys’ star wideout.
It was one of just two targets on the day for Cooper, whom Gilmore held without a catch as part of another dominant effort by the Patriots’ top-ranked defense.
“(It was) obviously a great, great play,” Belichick said during his Monday morning conference call with reporters. “His timing — I mean, one of the hardest catches. It would have been a good play for him to knock that pass down, and he was able to extend and lay out and be able to complete the catch.
“It was an outstanding play. Probably one of the best plays we’ve had all year.”
What a play by the best corner in the @NFL.@BumpNrunGilm0re | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/rt1Zwr2isP
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 24, 2019
Gilmore nearly registered another interception in the fourth quarter when he switched off of Cooper to knock down a pass intended for tight end Jason Witten in the end zone. A touchdown on that drive would have tied the score at 13-all with six minutes remaining. Instead, Dallas settled for a field goal and never threatened again.
The All-Pro cornerback lamented that impressive play after the game, saying he should have picked the pass off.
“It was a tough catch,” said Gilmore, who has four interceptions this season. “But I should have made that catch, too.”
