Brady’s knee injury gave him a glimpse of his football mortality.
He gained a greater sense of appreciation for the grueling journey that is a 16-game season and for what it takes to get back on the field after a serious injury.
It was in that context that Brady was asked yesterday morning about Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who has been the subject of many rumors, including the possibility of a trade and retirement.
“He’s a great friend of mine,’’ Brady said about Manning, who missed the 2011 season because of neck woes. “I’m certainly hoping for the best. The NFL is a better place with a guy like Peyton Manning in it.
“I think we all appreciate the ability to go out there and play every week. Certainly nothing you take for granted because you never know - this could be your last day.’’
The Ravens would like nothing more than to end Brady’s season Sunday. But they know it will take a supreme effort, especially after Brady’s six-touchdown performance in Saturday night’s 45-10 demolition of the Broncos.
It was the kind of effort that commanded the respect of the Ravens, including Terrell Suggs.
Baltimore’s bombastic outside linebacker, who has engaged Brady in a lively war of words in the past, seemed to temper the rhetoric yesterday, expressing his respect for Brady.
“No, there’s no beef,’’ Suggs told reporters. “I guess the genesis of that, it was the incident in ’09, where I almost hit him below the waist.’’
Suggs was called for roughing the passer when the Ravens fell, 27-21, to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium Oct. 4, 2009, for lunging at Brady’s knee.
After the Ravens suffered a 23-20 overtime loss to the Patriots in Foxborough Oct. 17, 2010, Suggs said of Brady, “He just better hope he don’t see us again.’’
The next day, Brady fired back:
“Well, he had his chances, so maybe if he gets another chance he can try to back those words up. We play those guys a lot and they’ve only beat us one time in all the times that I’ve played them.
