Bill Belichick praises Patriots’ Stephon Gilmore for ‘outstanding’ interception

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore gave another tremendous performance in Sunday's Week 12 win over the Dallas Cowboys at a rainy Gillette Stadium.

The All-Pro defensive back held the Cowboys' best wide receiver, Amari Cooper, without a single reception in the 26 routes they were matched up. Gilmore also had a second-quarter interception that helped set up a field goal to give New England a 10-0 first-half lead. The 29-year-old cornerback was in man coverage versus Cooper and dove in front of the Cowboys wideout to snag the pass from Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott.

Here's a replay of the impressive interception:

The Patriots defense is always hungry for turnovers 💯 @BumpNrunGilm0re

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/dAnz32GVIn
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 24, 2019

“Obviously a great, great play,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of Gilmore's interception during a media conference call Monday.

“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.”

Gilmore is without question the leading candidate for the Associated Press' NFL Defensive Player of the Year honor, an award no Patriots player has ever won. His ability to erase the opponent's top wide receiver for an entire game is the most important facet of New England's elite defense.