Rodney on M&M: Brady vs. Eli a toss-up

Former Patriots defensive back Rodney Harrison, now an analyst for NBC, checked in with Mut & Merloni Thursday to preview Super Bowl XLVI.

Harrison, who played on the Patriots team that lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, said revenge will be a motivating factor for the Patriots, no matter what they say in public.

"It has to be a burning desire to get back on that field and punch the Giants back in the mouth," Harrison said. "Because let's be honest about it, they took away something that was very near and dear to us. We were one game away from making history, being considered possibly as the greatest team to ever step foot on a National Football League field. That was something special.

"Tom Brady won't come out and admit it. [Bill] Belichick won't come out and admit it. [Robert] Kraft won't come out and admit. But guess what? They're thinking about that."

Looking at the quarterback matchup, Harrison said he can't give Brady the advantage over Eli Manning.

Said Harrison: "Most of the time when you look at two quarterback going into a game, Tom Brady will clearly have the edge. I just can't say that Tom Brady has the edge. You put away everything that Tom's accomplished in the past -- Super Bowl MVPs, Super Bowl victories, everything that he has, you put aside -- you put these guys on an even playing field this year, and I don't know who I would give the edge to. Because Eli, he's been fantastic this year, the second half of the season. In the fourth quarter he's been clutch. He's been standing in the pocket, showing a lot of poise, patience, showing a lot of confidence in himself and his teammates. And I just don't know at this point. And we've seen the Patriots struggle. When Tom Brady's off just a little bit, we've seen them struggle a lot."

Harrison made some headlines earlier in the season with his criticism of the Patriots defense, specifically the defensive backs.

"At times, I'm very disappointed at the secondary," he said. "It's not like they have such an exotic scheme where it's so difficult. It's not a difficult system to play in. They're playing base coverages -- Cover 1, some Cover 4, some Cover 3 and Cover 2. It's not very difficult to play in that system. At times, I saw lack of concentration. Things that you learn at the beginning of training camp, things that you learn in minicamp, things that you learn throughout the week.

"It's basic coverages, and there's no excuse for miscommunication, blown coverages, missed tackles. Those are the things that you can control as a football player. And that's the thing that really disappointed me. Because we were so prideful, Ty Law, myself and guys like that, on allowing big plays over your head. That's the easiest way to get beat.

"So, I see improvement now, but even in that AFC championship game you see a couple of blown coverages. Against Eli Manning, you cannot do that. [Patrick] Chung is the leader of that secondary. He has to make sure that everyone else lines up and be in the right position. But also, they have to take it within themselves to have pride and not blow those coverages."

Following are more highlights from the conversation.

On Vince Wilfork wanting critics of the Patriots to shut up: "He can tell us to shut up, but guess what? It's our job to keep talking. And we can tell him to shut up, but we love him. And we'll tell him. Plus, he's 330 pounds, so I'm not going to tell him to shut up. Are you crazy? [Laughing]

"It's our job. It wouldn't be fair to the fans, it wouldn't be fair to us or the people that employ us if we couldn't come out and speak the truth about the Patriots like we do 31 other teams. It's just a matter of them not worrying about what people outside that locker room talk about. Because it really doesn't matter what we say. And I had the same approach when I was inside that locker room. I didn't care what anyone -- Cris Carter -- anyone went out there and criticized us. It didn't matter because they're sitting in a warm studio, whereas we're preparing and we know exactly what we have to do to go out there. But the key is, just play better football and people won't criticize you."

On if Devin McCourty can be a great safety after transitioning from cornerback: "He's not going to be a great safety. Don't say the word great, OK, buddy? He can be a serviceable safety. He has some versatility, a lot of athletic ability. And I think moving him around is a good idea, because now it keeps him interested, it keeps him intrigued. …

"The one thing about Devin is, he's taken a lot of heat. I think the one thing he has to do is just focus on the little things. If you have inside technique, play inside technique. If you know where your safety's help [is], use your safety's help. And that's the problem young players have. They have speed, they have athleticism. But they don't necessarily play smart all the time, and that comes from just being young and raw."

On Patrick Chung: "I think Patrick will excel if they start playing him a little more aggressively. Right now he's playing a lot of zone, he's not able to come up close to the line and make a lot of tackles, he's covering the slot. If I was a head coach I would utilize Patrick a little differently than what they're using him now."

On the Patriots' loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII: "We played hard. It's just, they made some key plays, they had some key third downs. Really, we just didn't play our best football. I don't even necessarily think we had to play our best football. We just made some untimely mistakes."

On the David Tyree catch on Harrison during the game-winning drive: "At first, I'm kind of like Jarvis [Green], I would have nightmares and I would actually carry the burden of placing the blame on myself, and really thinking that I disappointed not only my teammates but the organization and so many fans across the country. Because we worked so hard to get to a point at 16-0. Then I finally started realizing it's not just one play that changed the course of that game. Even within that drive, they converted like a long third down-and-9 and of course they had to score the go-ahead touchdown. So, it's not one person you can blame. But me, being a competitive person, I know I should have made that play. But sometimes in life you can't control things that happen."

To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page. For more Patriots news, visit the team page at weei.com/patriots.