"Jerod Mayo admitted that when the Patriots played the Broncos on Dec. 18, he struggled to take what he learned in the classroom to the field. The Patriots linebacker had studied Denver quarterback Tim Tebow and his quirky offense before the 18-point win, but it took him some time to adjust.

The ugly first quarter showed that Mayo wasn't alone. As the team wrapped up its preparation yesterday, the captain feels much better.

"I feel a little more comfortable this time around than the first time," said Mayo, who had eight tackles in the Pats 41-23 victory. "You really don't know what to expect the first time you see the option offense. Even though the whole offense isn't option, there are certain looks that you haven't seen since college, pretty much. I feel more comfortable this time around. Hopefully we get it done.""