Pete Carroll has defended his Seattle Seahawks side after they continued to throw the ball despite a lead of more than 50 points against the Arizona Cardinals.

Backup quarterback Matt Flynn was brought on in place of Russell Wilson for much of the second half, as the Seahawks built up a 38-0 lead by half time.

The head coach told reporters: "Any of the throws we threw in the fourth quarter, Matt just needed to throw the ball around some.

"We did a little bit of everything. Quick game. A couple naked to just get him out of the pocket just to give him a chance to get some time. Hopefully everyone understands that."

Offenses often switch to their running game when they have built up a big lead.