Jim Harbaugh: 'Ahmad Brooks hit was legal'

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has expressed his belief that Ahmad Brooks's hit on Drew Brees during Sunday's match against the New Orleans Saints was legal.

Brooks caught Brees in possession late in the fourth quarter, causing the quarterback to fumble a ball that was eventually recovered by Brooks's teammate Patrick Willis.

The 49ers were leading 20-17 at the time, but a penalty given for roughing the passer robbed them of the chance to see out the match and allowed the Saints to kick an equalising field goal before going on to win the contest in the dying seconds.

"When we grade a player, if he has a penalty, we give him a minus. We did not assign a minus on that play. Thought he made a great play, just didn't get the result," Harbaugh told the team's official website.

Brooks has also expressed his belief that his hit was legal, claiming that the NFL had been "watered down" by the over-protection of offensive players.