If Pats can't say something nice, they won't talk

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The Patriots continued to avoid fueling pregame hype yesterday, even when a reporter reminded Tom Brady that he said over the summer that he hates the Jets. Does he still feel that way?

"Do I still hate them? Well, I promised coach Belichick I wouldn't say anything derogatory, so I have no comment,'' he said, smiling.

Said nose tackle Vince Wilfork: "The Jets are a great football team, point-blank. There really is nothing I can say bad about them.''

When a reporter asked Belichick what the coaches did Wednesday on the players' day off, he said sarcastically, "Oh, we played golf - golf, bowling, a little badminton tournament, ate some watermelon, played cards . . . It was nice.''

But seriously, did they focus on the Jets? "Totally about the Jets,'' he said, "other than the pony rides and canoeing.''