Mike: Would you take the same type of approach if you were Pees?

Tedy: I think the first thing I’d say to my defensive front is that there will be times when they’ll only have six men in the box to stop the run because we have to worry about this passing game. I’d put some more emphasis on that with the linemen and linebackers. Then I’d concentrate on taking away that inside passing game, which is similar to what others have tried to do with re-routing slot receivers and receiving tight ends. I’d arm my linebackers and slot defenders with various calls — and also using defensive ends at times — to disrupt the passing game inside and between the numbers. Make them beat me outside. I’d also be concerned with running backs offset in the passing game.

Good read from Frenz, and one of the most interesting new dynamics of this game is the Patriots confidence playing man-to-man defense. The Ravens have plenty of weapons and how the Patriots choose to match up will be one of the areas I’m most curious to watch.

The biggest problem I see is that they can deal with the wide receivers, and even Mayo on Ray Rice is okay, but the trickle down effect means Spikes, Hightower and Wilson will be left to deal with the Ravens tight ends. That could be the area Joe Flacco most tries to exploit.

If there’s one point I think Bill Belichick might be hammering home this week is just how shredded the Pats defense was by the Ravens back in Week 3.

Chew on some of these numbers:

• Flacco 382 yards passing.
• Ravens 503 yards total offense.
• Flacco 9.7 yards/attempt.
• Ravens 4.7 yards per rushing attempt.
• Patriots Defense 0 Sacks. 1 QB hit.
• Ravens 4 80-plus yard touchdown drives.

Some other things of note from Pro Football Focus:

• Just one Patriot defender “in the green” for grading out above average: Devin McCourty.
• 6 Patriots defensive starters “in the red” for grading out below average.

And despite all this awfulness the Patriots still only lost by one point as time expired. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

We should certainly expect a better performance from the Pats D, and not just because they’ve replaced/moved 4 of their five top defensive backs since the last game.

Whether you are talking about the players, the coaches (Belichick gave Harbaugh a reference when he was interviewing for the head coaching job) or the owners, both franchises appreciate and respect the way the other does business. Both are in a select group of model, stable franchises that always seem to be at or near the top of the league. New England has operated a steady ship for the last decade plus, while the Biscotti family has done the same with the Ravens. At the heart of that relationship is the shared respect between Baltimore personnel man Ozzie Newsome and Belichick — Newsome played for the Browns, and cut his teeth working with Belichick when the coach was in Cleveland.

Good breakdown of what will be different this time around…

The Patriots upped the tempo and ran 82 snaps (including penalties), favoring Danny Woodhead as their lead back (52 snaps). Woodhead’s status for the AFC Championship Game is in question after he injured his thumb on the first play Sunday and didn’t return. Belichick said Woodhead could have returned, but the injury might limit his effectiveness. The coaching staff was disappointed in the production of the running game against Baltimore (77 yards, 34 carries, 2.3 average). Running back Shane Vereen, who is coming off a career-best performance against the Texans, was inactive for the game.

Well that certainly makes me feel gross, but interesting if you can handle rehashing it.

To sum up:

On the touchdown play that sealed it for the Giants Dean Pees had an all out blitz called, Rodney noticed Hobbs on Burress and tried to get Junior Seau to check to cover 2 to give Hobbs over the top help, but Junior said no and wanted to run the blitz. Ugh….

Thank you Ayanba…  Ayanba… Ayanba-gonna-have-a-target-on-his-back.

A Patriots source tells me Ayanbadejo’s quotes have spread through the locker room faster than the flu virus travelling across New England. Players who are aware of the quote are furious and feel it is one of the most disrespectful things ever said about the franchise. The Patriots will publicly deny all of this, especially Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. They’ll act like the quote doesn’t matter. They’ll say they things like: “Never heard of the quote” “What quote?” “What’s a quote?” “Is that a sentence of some sort?” But privately, I can guarantee you, Belichick and Brady, in particular, will be furious. Spygate and losing the bid to go undefeated are sensitive areas to both men who are perfectionists, and feel Spygate is an unfair stain on both of their legacies. Belichick feels this especially (and I agree with him). Again, all of this will be publicly denied but it’s true. Motivational ploys and trash talking are often vastly overrated, but not in the Patriots locker room. That quote will be presented like Ayanbadejo said he was coming to Foxborough to set the stadium on fire.