Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo addresses the media during his postgame press conference at Gillette Stadium on Monday, December 6, 2010.

Q: Is this the best defensive performance the team has had all year?

JM: Yeah, I think so. I have been saying since six weeks ago that this defense has been taking steps forward and guys have really been stepping up, like Devin McCourty and Brandon Spikes, who had huge plays today, and I like the direction that we're going in.

Q: Did you ever have any doubt that a game like this for the defense would come?

JM: We had those extra days to prepare and I think guys had spent a lot of time in the film room. With those days off we were still here watching film. Coach Belichick put together a great game plan and we came out and executed it.

Q: The amount of talking that the Jets do and did do, did that give you any extra motivation?

JM: Not really. To be honest with you, Coach Belichick does an excellent job of telling us to ignore the noise each and every week and I think we did our talking on the field tonight.

Q: How much did that lead help?

JM: That was huge. Just to make the Jets one-dimensional and to make them have to throw the ball. We know what they expect and our guys went out there and made plays.

Q: Coach Belichick talks about playing a full 60 minutes. Do you think that this is the first time that has happened?

JM: I think so. Throughout the game he kept reminding us to play 60 minutes just put it all together, and this was one of our best efforts this year.

Q: You guys picked off [Mark] Sanchez on three different occasions. Can you talk about your rookie teammate [Devin] McCourty?

JM: He's doing an excellent job. He's always here early in the morning and he stays late and it's really showing on the field. Since he came in as a rookie he has really put in the extra time and that hard work is really paying off for him now.