"Jerod Mayo has big plans for his first Pro Bowl trip. And he planted the seeds last night during the AFC players orientation meeting. Mayo cozied up to Ray Lewis, formally introduced himself, shook the man's hand, and basically told the Ravens linebacker he hoped to pick his brain during the week for pointers on how to get better.

And guess what? Lewis agreed.

"He seemed like a good guy," Mayo said. "It was a quick meet-and-greet. But he welcomed me with open arms, and we're going to get together and talk."

Now the Patriots and Ravens aren't quite to the degree of the Pats and Jets on the hate meter, but they're up there, especially when Terrell Suggs starts yapping crazy things about Tom Brady.

But being teammates in Hawaii on a Pro Bowl team apparently calls for a temporary truce. All of the barriers and walls tend to come down for the week when the NFL's all-stars gather. So Mayo wanted to take advantage.

The one person he was hoping to meet and spend time with this week was the future Hall of Famer Lewis, who is among the greatest middle linebackers to ever play the game.

"He's just someone I've been wanting to sit down with, and talk with, and pick his brain," said Mayo, who flew in from Boston yesterday. "I've watched him and just want to see how he's been able to do what he's done for so long that's so amazing to me, and take what I can from him."

Lewis has certainly been a tone-setter for the Ravens defense. He plays with a fierceness and ferociousness that's unmistakable. He's always had a knack for making big plays at crucial times. At age 35 this season, he played well enough to make his 12th Pro Bowl after recording a team-high 139 tackles. He also had two sacks, two interceptions, forced two fumbles, and played 1,111 out of a possible 1,116 snaps. He is the standard for this generation of linebackers."