HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -Victor Hobson saw something special in Tom Brady when they were teammates at Michigan.

``He's definitely one of the best pressure players in the game,'' the New York Jets' linebacker said. ``Even going back to when I played with him in college, we always felt confident that he would be able to deal with adversity.''

Hobson and the Jets (10-6) hope to cause all kinds of problems for the New England Patriots' quarterback during their first-round playoff game Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

``The main thing is trying to present different looks and not allowing him to feel comfortable,'' Hobson said. ``If we allow him to feel comfortable, it will be a long day.''

The Jets know all about Brady's penchant for thriving in the playoffs, where he's 10-1 in his career with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.

``I think his record speaks for itself,'' said Hobson, who played with Brady at Michigan in 1999. ``There aren't too many with winning records like that in the playoffs, especially when it's a tournament. If you lose, you go home and he's been able to move on.''

Brady is 9-2 against the Jets as a starter, but his last game was one to forget. In Week 10, New York constantly pressured Brady and repeatedly forced him to rush his throws in a 17-14 win at Foxborough.

``They are very difficult to prepare for because they present so many different scheme-type things and it's one of the toughest teams we prepare for all year,'' Brady said.

The lasting image from that game was a muddied Brady sitting on the turf as the Jets celebrated around him following a sack by Shaun Ellis, who forced a fumble to seal the win. New York also snapped a seven-game losing streak against New England (12-4).

``It was a big confidence booster, but that was just one game,'' Ellis said. ``This is a totally different game, there is a lot more at stake. They'll be more prepared than the last game.''

The Jets can count on it. Brady rarely struggles against opponents in consecutive games, and the Patriots have almost certainly closely examined the various looks and shifts New York used in disrupting Brady and the passing game.

``Besides all his physical tools, everybody knows he's one of the smartest quarterbacks as well,'' safety Kerry Rhodes said. ``If you're giving them clues to what's going on, he's going to find them and he's going to know how to exploit you.''

In the teams' first meeting this season, a 24-17 victory by the Patriots at the Meadowlands, Brady was far from spectacular but made big plays at the end - as usual. He finished 15-of-29 for 220 yards with one TD and an interception, but led an efficient drive that lasted more than 8 minutes and gave the Jets little time to muster a final unsuccessful drive.

``Everybody knows Brady is very poised in the pocket,'' Ellis said. ``He could stay there, take the hit and throw the ball. He has a lot of confidence in his guys getting open and in his line and he does a great job of getting the ball off and making big plays.''

For that reason, the Jets might be more likely to blitz more and disguise looks on defense - as they did in the last matchup.

``They change it up a bunch,'' Brady said. ``They are a multiple-front team, multiple blitzers, safeties. Everyone's involved: corners, safeties, linebackers. They create a bunch of negative plays. That's really what they've done the last six or seven weeks since they played us. They have obviously been one of the best defensive teams the second half of the year, so I wouldn't expect that to change.''

Then again, the Jets might just throw some completely new looks at Brady and the Patriots.

``We know each other so well that I'm sure we're both trying to do something that the other hasn't seen, so it will be a little unexpected,'' Rhodes said. ``The team that handles it well, gets hit first and bounces back will be the team that can pull it out.''

If the game is close or if the Patriots trail late, it's a good bet Brady will put them in position to pull out a victory. He has led 23 game-winning drives in his career, including two this season.

``There's no quarterback I'd rather have,'' New England coach Bill Belichick said.

Brady has thrived since the teams last played, going 6-1 with nine touchdowns and three interceptions - and gaining the type of confidence that led the Patriots to three of the last five Super Bowl titles.

``We know what type of game we're going into with Tom Brady,'' said Jets defensive end Bobby Hamilton, who played for the Patriots from 2000-03. ``Tom Brady is going to be pumped and he's going to get his guys in the right direction.''

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