"If he held onto Eli's INT, there'd be 7 banners and a 19-0 season" - NFL analyst blasts Asante Samuel for calling out Bill Belichick

Former New England Patriots cornerback and two-time Super Bowl champion Asante Samuel made headlines this week after he claimed that Tom Brady was the main reason behind his former team's sustained period of dominance. He added that legendary head coach Bill Belichick didn't play a significant role in the Patriots' success.

On the "I Am Athlete" podcast, Asante Samuel said:

“All of this (creative) stuff is working because of Tom! But that ain’t how we won … It’s one X-factor—it’s Tom. This is the truth … It’s because of Tom because guess what? Tom goes [somewhere else] and just wins a Super Bowl.”

He added:

“That’s not a credit right there to him? With COVID, no practice—‘I go and win a Super Bowl!’”

He also claimed that Belichick benched players to ensure they did not hit performance-related bonuses:

“You know me and Belichick don't see eye to eye. He tried to bench me. You know Tom, Troy Brown gonna play nickelback. I'm on the bench. This is just Belichick - ain't no reason why.”

Samuel added:

“He want to hold you back, he don't want you to get your money ... that's true. Yeah, um, so I'm gonna speak all facts I tell no lies that ain't on my profile.”

Samuel isn't the only one who holds this belief. Former Patriots star Rob Gronkowski also claimed that the team benched players when they were close to reaching milestones. Gronkowski made the statement during an appearance on "The Jimmy Kimmel Show."

However, Patriots fan and host of "Do Your Pod," Jerry Thornton, came to Belichick's defense. Thornton highlighted Asante Samuel's crucial mistake in Super Bowl 42 and claimed that no one held grudges against Belichick like the former cornerback.

"No Patriot has held a grudge against Belichick like Asante Samuel. If he held onto Eli's INT, there'd be 7 banners and a 19-0 season," he tweeted.

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Reliving Asante Samuel's infamous play for the Patriots in Super Bowl 42

Late in the game, the New York Giants trailed 14-10 against the undefeated Patriots. With just over a minute left and facing a 2nd and 5 from around midfield, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a hopeful pass that went straight to Samuel. However, the latter failed to intercept it.

On the next play, Manning escaped the clutches of two Patriots defenders and threw a pass deep downfield that looked destined for an interception or incompletion. But wide receiver David Tyree managed to beat Rodney Harrison to the ball, caught it and controlled it with his helmet to extend the drive.

The Giants marched down the field to score a game-clinching touchdown and cause the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. The "Helmet Catch" has since gone down in NFL folklore as one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.

But none of it would have been possible if Asante Samuel hadn't let an easy interception slip from his grasp.