BY NICK ST. DENIS
Tom Brady was a little sorer than usual Monday, and with good reason.
Early in the fourth quarter of the New England Patriots' 41-23 victory over the Denver Broncos Sunday, Brady was essentially blindsided on his non-blindside by Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil. On a perfectly legal and clean it (which James Harrison would argue), Dumervil got a lane to Brady and drilled him in the chest.
"I was staring at the other side of the field," Brady told WEEI Monday. "I was pretty locked in to the guy I was throwing to. My peripheral vision really didn't kick in there."
Brady, however, popped right back up after the play. In fact, he was up just before Dumervil.
"I learned pretty early playing quarterback that when you get hit you should always be the first one up, faster than the guy that hit you," Brady said. "So I guess it's just habit at this point."
Brady's competitiveness and mental toughness has been a direct influence on his success. Not giving pass rushers the satisfaction of watching Brady writhe on the ground is just another one of his attempts to gain that edge.
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