12/10 — If anyone thought Eric Mangini would stray off message, allow a glimpse of personal joy, fear, anger, sorrow, excitement or some other emotion now that undefeated New England looms just six days away, he or she was mistaken.

The Jets head coach took some questions about his onside kick decisions and two-point conversion call during the 24-18 loss to Cleveland at the top of his just-concluded day-after news conference this afternoon. Then the rest of the session was spent talking about the Patriots game on Sunday.

And Mangini summed up his perspective and approach when someone in the Jets media room, with a few Boston reporters already in attendance, pressed him on how nice it would be to knock the Pats off their 13-0 pedestal.

"We've never taken the approach that the record is going to dictate how we go into the next game," Mangini said. "It's always a function of what we think gives us the best chance to win. it's not really our record or their record."

And really, when it comes down to it, there is no better approach to taking on New England or any opponent. Jets Nation, Patriots Territory, the football nation at large will be providing their thoughts and opinions all week long on who's going to do what to whom and why on Sunday. What saner way to prepare for such a maelstrom than to sit in the eye of the storm and prepare for what really matters.

Which is what the Jets have already begun doing today, as newyorkjets.com stories by Eric Allen on Kerry Rhodes and John Beattie on Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery from today's locker room session will underscore later today and early tomorrow.

"It's really a game against a very good team and understanding what you have to do to win against that team," Mangini said. "It's a team we have a lot of experience and a lot of familiarity with, being able to prepare during the course of the week and get done what we have to get done. That's really the focus. The consistent approach we've taken throughout the course of the season is going to be the same. What you need week in and week out is a high level of preparation."

And just in case you think the Jets are the only team taking this unexciting approach this week, here are some snippets from Bill Belichick's news conference up in Foxboro today, the day after the Pats smelted the Steelers, 34-13.

Any extra motivation in playing the Jets?

"We're going to approach it like every game, just the way we've done with all of them," Belichick said. "Come in, look at the film, get together a game plan, try to figure out the best way to attack and defend them.

"I'm telling you we're going to approach this game like the way we approached the last one, the one before that one, the one before that one. That's all I can tell you."

And how does Belichick see the Jets' threat?

"My impression of them was the Pittsburgh game. They played very well and they beat Pittsburgh [19-16 in overtime in Game 10]."

Similar to Mangini's respectful impression of the Patriots:

"I think New England is an extremely well-coached team," the Jets coach said, "who have a lot of talented players who play well together and do a great job of focusing on the next opponent."

So, folks, you want talk about undefeated history, Spygate, blood feuds and the like, you'll have to talk among yourselves about it. I just don't see it coming from these coaches or their teams.

Big-Play J

WR Jerricho Cotchery is playing through the pain of his splinted right index finger, but it hardly showed as he gathered in six catches vs. the Browns, including grabs of 22, 26 and 32 yards.

Cotchery, even after sitting out the Miami game, has 15 "big-play" receptions of 20-plus yards (nine on throws from Kellen Clemens, six from Chad Pennington). That total leads the Jets this season and in fact is the most since Santana Moss had 17 "big-play" catches in 2003.

Tennessee Time

Looking ahead to the Jets-Titans — but only for the purposes of ascertaining the time of the opening kickoff — their Dec. 23 game was originally scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m. EST, and that's in fact when it will start, the NFL has confirmed.

'Inside the Jets'

The guests lined up for tonight's "Inside the Jets" show on 1050 ESPN New York are LB Victor Hobson, DL Eric Hicks and radio analyst Marty Lyons, of course the former Sack Exchange mogul. Host Bob Wischusen kicks it off from Charlie Brown's restaurant in Garden City, N.Y., at 7 p.m. The show can be heard live on newyorkjets.com.