Getting hit never feels good for a quarterback. But when it's Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil delivering the blow, it hurts a bit more.
Dumervil, a physically imposing force and a cornerstone of the Denver defense, dropped Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during New England's 41-23 win on Sunday. And Brady admits that he's still feeling the effects.
"He got me pretty good," Brady said on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan Show. "I'm feeling that one this morning a little bit, more so than usual."
What may have caused Brady a bit more pain than most hits — aside from how much of a beast Dumervil is on the field — is that the New England QB never saw Dumervil's hit coming.
"I was staring at the other side of the field, pretty locked into the guy I was throwing to," he said. "My peripheral vision didn't really kick in there so believe me I wish I would have saw him, I would have braced myself a little bit."
Brady sprung up right after the hit, which he admits is something he's always tried to do.
"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 it's just kind of a habit I guess at this point."
It's a habit that likely saves Patriots fans some stress, as the thought of Brady going down with an injury again is more than alarming.
