"When Jerod Mayo was a rookie, veterans like Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison attempted to school him in the ways of the playoffs. No matter that the team's 11-5 finish led to being left out in 2008, the lessons still were there.

"They were on me tough," the third-year captain recalled yesterday.

Yet Mayo's first experience in the playoffs after the 2009 season wasn't nearly as glorious as the perennial postseasons players had described. He can thank the Ravens and running back Ray Rice, who started the first-round rout with an 83-yard touchdown run, for that fact.

As his top-seeded Patriots head into Sunday's showdown against the sixth-seeded Jets, the goal is for this year's rookies — and everyone else — to have a slightly more positive journey.

"I think you have to experience your first one," Mayo said. "My first one wasn't too good against the Baltimore Ravens. The first play, they got an 83-yard touchdown. Hopefully it's different this year, and that's the plan."

Mayo, the NFL's leading tackler and spark plug of the young and resilient defense, hasn't washed away memories of the brutal 33-14 loss to Baltimore that ended last season with a thud.

"But I'm living for this game," he said.

The Jets will present their challenges, specifically in their propensity to attack the edges of a defense with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson. With that duo and a tough offensive line, they can be bruising.

"I wouldn't say I've ever seen them go out there and play a finesse game," safety Jarrad Page said. "The way for any offense to set the tone is to go out there and get the run game going and then everything opens up for you."

That's what the Ravens did last year and what the Jets will hope to do this year, specifically when the Patriots go to their nickel and dime packages. Mayo is prepared — "here late and here early" — to get in his work.

And he knows what the Ravens did last year and what the Browns did in the regular season will be what the Jets attempt to do Sunday."