Drew Brees: 'Ahmad Brooks hit was illegal'

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees believes that the officials made the right call in flagging Ahmad Brooks's hit on him during Sunday's match against the San Francisco 49ers.

Brooks was penalised for roughing the passer having forced a fumble when catching Brees in possession late in the fourth quarter of the Saints' eventual 23-20 win.

The 49ers linebacker slammed the decision to award a penalty, but Brees believes that it was the right call despite not thinking of Brooks as a dirty player.

"I don't think what Ahmad Brooks did was intentional at all. I think he's a heck of a football player and a clean football player. A hard-nosed, clean football player," Brees is quoted as saying by ESPN.

"But you look at the result of that, and again in real-time, you can slow it down all you want and watch it and say, 'Look where the [arm is].' But I can tell you how I felt when I got hit.

"It felt like I got my head ripped off. And I get up and I've got a mouth full of blood. So there was no doubt in my mind that, 'Hey, it's gonna be a penalty.'"

San Francisco were leading the Saints by three points when the penalty was called, giving New Orleans a chance to tie the match with a field goal before another kick in the dying seconds gave them the win.