Jets need this blueprint to get even

To give you some idea of just how muted the trash talking was in advance of Sunday night's Jets-Patriots game, consider this: The most incendiary comment from the Jets' locker room came on Friday from linebacker Calvin Pace, who described the Patriots as "the evil empire," a phrase actually coined in the Boston-New York sports lexicon by former Red Sox president Larry Lucchino in describing the Yankees.

But maybe it's not such a bad thing that the words haven't gotten in the way this week. After all, this really is all about football, and the lack of pregame drama will only create a more vivid contrast with what happens on the field. Quiet week, indeed. But this will be a heck of a game between two of the league's biggest rivals.

Thinking the Jets win here and even the score for this year's series. Won't be easy against a Patriots team that hasn't lost three straight in nine years, but it's doable if the Jets follow our blueprint:

1 Blitz Brady . . . a lot.

The Giants did a terrific job applying pressure on Tom Brady with their four-man front, but the Jets' scheme is different and will require a more varied pass rush. Two ways to do this: Get designated pass rushers Jamaal Westerman, Aaron Maybin and Pace involved early and often. But don't stop there. The Jets will need to send blitzers from the secondary like Kyle Wilson, Jim Leonhard, Eric Smith and perhaps even Darrelle Revis on occasion, although Rex Ryan doesn't like to use Revis as a pass rusher. It's incumbent on the Jets to get to Brady, because you've seen what happens when he gets pressured: He doesn't play nearly as well as when he can pick you apart with good pass protection. Key stat: Brady has already thrown 10 interceptions in eight games; his career high is 14.

2 Pass, pass, pass . . .

Here's the one stat that screams out at you if you're Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer: The Patriots are last in the NFL in pass defense, allowing an average of 325.6 passing yards per game. So Mark Sanchez needs to come out throwing, especially now that he's rediscovered his confidence after some early-season issues. Sanchez has seven TDs and only two INTs in his last four, so let the man throw it and throw it often.

3 . . . and run, run, run.

Now, here's the thing against New England's defense: As tempting as it is to just have Sanchez drop back and throw at will, the Jets need to establish offensive balance. And that means keeping Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson and particularly Joe McKnight involved. Greene is the pounder, Tomlinson is the slasher -- who also catches well out of the backfield -- and McKnight can be the changeup back to keep New England on its heels. The Giants had a good pass-to-run ratio last week of 39 pass attempts and 29 rushes. That's a good number to shoot for against a defense that's clearly vulnerable.

4 Revis gets Welker

With no deep threat now that Randy Moss is gone, the Jets should keep Revis on Wes Welker and apply the kind of physical technique near the line of scrimmage that has begun to frustrate Welker in recent weeks. Welker made a public appeal on Friday in hopes of getting the officials to call illegal contact, and maybe he'll get a call or two. But it won't stop Revis from blanketing him with the kind of coverage that makes Revis the best corner in the game.

5 Involve Dustin Keller

The Patriots are playing plenty of the more conservative Cover 2 scheme than Bill Belichick ordinarily uses. It's a style that stresses preventing the big play, but it also leaves the middle of the field wide open on seam routes typically run by tight ends. Remember Jake Ballard catching that 28-yard pass on third-and-10 from the Giants' 39 on their final game-winning drive? That's the kind of route that opens up in a Cover 2 scheme, and that's where Keller is at his best. It's been a while since Keller was a featured receiver in the Jets' attack. He had 16 catches for 249 yards and two TDs in his first three games, but he's only 13-187 with no TDs in his last five. Time to get him back into the flow.

Put it all together, and this one looks like it'll be Jets 27, Patriots 17.