Eric Mangini was a college student at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., studying to become an investment banker, when his future mentor devised a game plan that wound up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It was January, 1991, and then-Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick devised a brilliant plan that slowed down the high-scoring, quick-strike Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Instead of the usual 3-4 scheme, Belichick employed a two-man line — a 2-4-5 alignment. The strategy came with this unorthodox charge: If Thurman Thomas rushes for 100 yards, Belichick told the defensive players, we’ll win.

It was a rope-a-dope, and it worked perfectly. Essentially, the Giants made the Bills run (Thomas got his 100), taking the ball out of Jim Kelly’s hands and shortening the game.

On Sunday, Mangini used Belichick’s strategy against Belichick, and it kept the Jets in the game against the heavily-favored Patriots. The Jets wound up losing, 20-10, in the so-called Spy Bowl in Foxborough, the latest chapter in the blood feud between the two divisional rivals, but they may have uncovered a way to beat the undefeated, history-seeking Patriots.

Make them run. Make them hold the ball. Make them work for it Make them score the old-fashioned way, with long, methodical drives. Test their patience. Better to surrender five yards a pop than to suffer the quick death, say, a 50-yard pass from Tom Brady to Randy Moss.

If the Jets had any offense whatsoever, they would’ve stunned the Patriots (14-0) in the wind and rain at Gillette Stadium. In the end, the Jets didn’t have enough playmakers to get it done, but they may have helped the rest of the league by exposing one of the Patriots’ few blemishes.

The Patriots don’t like to run the ball. It’s not that they can’t run, but it’s not their preferred mode of transportation. Why would it be, with Brady and Randy Moss enjoying potential record-breaking seasons in the passing game?

After beating the Jets, the Patriots took plenty of bows for showing they can win ugly on a day when Brady’s passing stats were ... um, human. Laurence Maroney, who had only 37 carries in the previous four games, rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. It was hardly a monster ground attack.

Basically, they got away with one. Against a better opponent, the Patriots might not be so fortunate. If they cross paths with a talented and creative defense, like maybe the Steelers or Chargers, it might be a different story.

Special feature Patriots’ record assault Tracking all the marks Tom Brady's bunch passed this season. MSNBC

If you’re a Patriots fan, you should be concerned. Think about it: The Jets (3-11) held the mighty Patriots to one offensive touchdown, and that came on a 3-yard drive set up by a blocked punt. Brady had no touchdown passes for the first time this season. Before Sunday, there was a better chance of a Belichick-Mangini man hug than a Brady oh-fer.

Ah, but it happened. Brady, confused by the pre-snap movement and ever-changing pressure packages, didn’t complete a pass longer than 16 yards until late in the game. Crafty Wes Welker, who began the day with 93 catches, was a complete non-factor with three grabs for 30 yards.

“We were showing different things, messing with Brady,” said rookie cornerback Darrelle Revis.

Linebacker David Bowens said half-jokingly that he was confused at times with all the pre-snap movement. Basically, Mangini and coordinator Bob Sutton used only two down linemen (sometimes just one), essentially telling Brady, “Go ahead, run the ball, we dare you.”

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