After Sunday’s 35-17 win over the Dolphins, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said that he took some “good shots” from Miami defenders during the game but said he was confident he’ll be ready to go next Sunday.
That was the same message he sent while appearing on “Kirk & Callahan” on WEEI Monday morning. Brady, who sat out a day of practice last week with what the team called an Achilles issue, said he’s “a little sore” after taking eight hits in the win and will get “extra treatment” this week in order to be prepared for a game against the Bills.
Brady was asked if he thought any of the hits were dirty and didn’t point to any that he thought should have been flagged, but did talk about Dolphins cornerback Bobby McCain getting ejected for throwing a punch at wide receiver Danny Amendola. Brady said he’s “glad we kept our poise” and credited Bill Belichick for preparing the team for possible extracurricular activities.
“He says, ‘Look, this is what tomorrow is going to be like,’” Brady said. “And he will show a lot of plays from the team that we’re playing and he’ll show a lot of things that are happening after the whistle. He’ll say, ‘Look, this is exactly what it is going to be. We can choose to fight back and get a bunch of penalties and hurt the team, or we can keep our poise and swallow our pride and let them get the penalties.’ I think when you go into the game knowing that is the approach, it’s easier to keep your poise. You still have to do it, you’re still pissed off too. We’ve had guys -- you do get penalties. We’ve definitely gotten personal fouls in the past, but I think maybe fewer than other teams because our coach talks about it.”
Controlling the things you can control has long been a hallmark of the Patriots system under Belichick and that extends to anything after the whistle that could hurt the team even when a divisional opponent might be trying to get under your skin.