"Every time Patriots week comes, you all come in and spoil the vibe," the Jets' defensive end said to reporters asking about New England's longtime dominance of the series.

"I'm tired of hearing it myself," said Ellis, a member of the Jets since 2000. "I've been hearing it for years. I'm sick of it right now. We'll see. It's a short week, we'll get a lot of mental work and go up there and put it all on the line. That's what we've got to do."

Brett Favre doesn't find it easy to compare the rivalries he remembers from the NFC North, and the AFC East blood feud in which he will be a central figure Thursday when the Jets visit New England with first place in the AFC East at stake. Both teams are 6-3.

"It feels different, obviously, because it's not (Green Bay)," Favre said Tuesday. "I played 16 years straight in Minnesota, in the Metrodome, and (at) Soldier Field. We had the one exception when we played (Chicago) in Champaign" in 2002.

"The bottom line," Favre added, "is it's still football. I know exactly what this game means and the weight it carries. I'm well aware of what New England has done over the past decade or so. Once again, it just comes down to football. I'm well aware of what this game means."

What makes this rivalry different than the ones Favre is familiar with is that it's more lopsided. With Favre there, Green Bay won nine of 15 games against Minnesota from 2001-07, and eight of 14 against the Bears during that same span.

But since that fateful day in September 2001 when a clean but crushing hit by the Jets' Mo Lewis knocked then-New England quarterback Drew Bledsoe out of the lineup, the Patriots have won 13 of 15 meetings, including 11 of the last 12.

Certainly the Jets hope Favre can turn those numbers around, even though he was unable to do so the first time he faced them as a Jet. The Patriots won 19-10 on Sept. 14 as Favre threw for 181 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

"I haven't really thought about it," Favre said when asked if he was acquired to beat the Patriots. "That may be true. Then again, it may not be. That may have been why we brought (nose tackle) Kris Jenkins in. Let's put it off on Kris."

Favre was smiling when he said that, but he knows the shifting looks of the Pats defense, orchestrated by head coach Bill Belichick, can wipe the smile off the face of any quarterback, even an experienced one such as Favre.

"I think (Belichick) beats you, in my opinion, with simplicity," Favre said. "They do a good job of disguising. The reason they do a good job of disguising is (because) they have very smart, instinctive and experienced players who can help the young guys along."

One Patriot they won't have to worry about blocking is Adalius Thomas, lost for the season with a forearm injury suffered Sunday against Buffalo. Thomas had a sack of Favre in the first meeting.

Favre said, "I know Bill (Belichick) is probably saying, 'We'll just plug another guy in and keep going.' Up to this point, they've done that."

"We don't need to be constantly reminded every time we play this team how bad we've been against them," Ellis added. "We're trying to get it fixed. Hopefully, we can get it done this week. ... We've just got to go up there and play sound. They've always got the edge, got the turnovers, beat us on the fundamental things always. That's one thing we've got to flip. Don't give them those easy plays, those easy turnovers and just make it a grind-out game."

SERIES HISTORY: 97th meeting. Jets lead series, 48-47-1. The Patriots have won 13 of the last 15 meetings, including a wild-card playoff game in the 2006 postseason. Fourteen of those games were with Tom Brady at quarterback for New England, but Matt Cassel won his first NFL start when the Patriots topped the Jets, 19-10, at Giants Stadium on Sept. 14. Cassel hadn't started a game since high school until Brady went down with a season-ending knee injury on opening day. Cassel is 5-3 as a starter.