National Football League

Cunningham more germane

Published Oct. 20, 2010 10:17 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Patriots signed veteran outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain to a three-year, $19 million contract in the offseason, and handed him a starting job in training camp.

But it looks as though Banta-Cain has officially relinquished that position to rookie Jermaine Cunningham, who made his third straight start in the Patriots' 23-20 overtime victory over the Ravens on Sunday.

Cunningham, selected in the second round with the 53rd overall pick in April, missed the entire preseason with an ankle injury. You couldn't miss him Sunday.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Florida product with Kevin McHale-like arms had six tackles, including one for a 3-yard loss on running back Ray Rice in the first quarter. He also strip-sacked Joe Flacco in the second quarter, although the quarterback recovered the fumble.

All in all, an active and productive day for a defense that might have found someone to fill the rather large void it has in the playmaker department.

"I thought Jermaine played very aggressively," coach Bill Belichick said yesterday. "He certainly had some good plays, some big plays. He made a good pass rush there, got a holding penalty on (Michael) Oher, made some good plays in the running game.

"He's still got a long way to go, but he's working hard, and I thought he did play very aggressively, which is what we need at that position."

Belichick also had high praise for Rob Ninkovich, the other starting outside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 defense. Ninkovich contributed to an effort that limited the Ravens to 99 yards on 34 carries (a 2.9 average).

Rice had Baltimore's longest run of the afternoon, 8 yards.

"Our other outside linebackers did a pretty good job of keeping Rice from really busting a lot of plays outside, which he's been known to do," Belichick said. "And then our inside defenders did a good enough job of trying to keep him contained. He's a really hard guy to shut down."

War of words

After Sunday's loss, Ravens ringleader Ray Lewis dismissed QB Tom Brady's role in the Patriots' comeback from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit.

Turns out fellow linebacker Terrell Suggs was equally ungracious, warning Brady he "better hope he doesn't see us again," and that a potential playoff matchup would provide the opportunity to "smash" the GQ/QB.

Brady had words with Suggs during the game, and he fired back yesterday while making his weekly paid appearance on WEEI radio.

"Well, he had his chance," Brady said. "Maybe if he gets another chance, he can try to back those words up. But he had a chance (Sunday).

"You know, we've played those guys a lot, and they've beat us one time in all the times that I've played them. They talk a lot for beating us once in nine years."

The Patriots are 6-0 all-time in the regular season against the Ravens, who won the only playoff meeting between the teams, 33-14, in January.

Making the tackles

Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo was credited with 18 tackles Sunday, one of three Patriots in double figures. Rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes had 14.and sophomore safety Patrick Chung 13.

It was the second-highest total of Mayo's three-year career, topped only by the 23 he had against the Jets in 2008. Mayo is on pace to finish with 205 tackles, which would easily surpass the 139 he had as a rookie, and the 114 he had last season despite missing nearly four full games due to a knee injury.

Mayo has 64 tackles this year, pending a review of the game film by the coaching staff, and is on course to become the first Patriot to have three consecutive 100-tackle seasons since Lawyer Milloy did it five straight years beginning in 1997.

Dealing all done?

The NFL trade deadline is today. One would think the Patriots are done with the wheeling and dealing after being particularly active the last two weeks - Randy Moss departing and Deion Branch arriving.

"That's a lot of trades for the regular season, historically," Belichick acknowledged.

Belichick indicated yesterday on WEEI that Logan Mankins won't be going anywhere for the simple reason the Patriots can't trade the disgruntled guard because he isn't under contract. Mankins, a restricted free agent, has refused to sign his tender offer and report to work.

Extra Points

Rookie tight end Aaron Hernandez has a team-high 301 receiving yards. Of his 22 catches, five have gone for 20 or more yards. He has had one such play in four of the first five games, including receptions of 30 and 21 yards against the Ravens, when he was targeted six times. He finished with four catches and, uncharacteristically, two drops. ... Tight end Alge Crumpler has been named a captain by Belichick, something that isn't without precedent. Daniel Graham, also a tight end, received an in-season appointment in 2006, his last year in New England.