Belichick defends Seahawks' play call

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has heard the criticism of the Seattle Seahawks' play calling at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, and he believes it is "totally out of line."

Belichick's team obviously benefited from the Seahawks' decision to throw on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 26 seconds remaining, a now hotly debated play call that resulted in Malcolm Butler's game-saving interception. Still, Belichick questioned the credentials of those panning the decision by coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.

"There has been a lot of criticism that I don't think is anywhere close to being deserved or founded," Belichick said Tuesday during his weekly appearance on sports radio WEEI in Boston. "That football team is very good, very well-coached, and Pete does a great job.

"Malcolm and Brandon [Browner], on that particular play, just made a great play. I think the criticism they've gotten for the game is totally out of line and by a lot of people who I don't think are anywhere near even qualified to be commenting on it."

Belichick also shared empathy for the Seahawks' heartbreak.

"I wouldn't be able to say enough about Seattle. They're a great football team, well-coached. They deserve so much credit for what they've done, and how well they've done it," he said on the program.

"I know they are disappointed, as we've been in that spot a couple times ourselves. So the high that we feel is probably not as high as the low that they feel. But that's a really good football team."