FOXBORO — When the Miami Dolphins unveiled their now-infamous Wildcat package against the Patriots in Week Three last season, it was certainly something New England had not prepared for.

But it looked a bit familiar to Jerod Mayo.

Less than a year earlier, Mayo saw the Wildcat’s predecessor, the Wild Hog, when his Tennessee Volunteers faced Arkansas. The Razorbacks had two talented running backs, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, and wanted a way to have both players on the field at the same time and the possibility of either back getting the ball.

The Dolphins have their own talented tandem in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, and their Wildcat package is a step above the Wild Hog.

“Arkansas ran it a lot, but Miami has taken it to a new level now, with many formations and many runs out of that Wildcat,” Mayo said.

Miami has run 66 plays out of the Wildcat formation this season, but the “formation” varies — sometimes quarterback Chad Henne is split wide, sometimes rookie quarterback/athlete Pat White in under center, and sometimes there isn’t a quarterback on the field at all.

Mayo may have seen something like it before, but last Sept. 21, when Miami ran it for the first time, the then-rookie linebacker and his New England defensive teammates were caught completely by surprise.

Asked on Thursday what his thoughts were after that initial play, Mayo smiled.

“Um…call a timeout,” he said, laughing. “I know we came to the sideline and Bill (Belichick) just told everybody to calm down and made a couple of adjustments, but unfortunately they didn’t work out that day.”

Miami head coach Tony Sparano was asked a similar question during his press conference, about when he made the decision to pull out the Wildcat in New England, when Brown took a direct snap from the two-yard line and ran into the end zone.

“I was thinking when (the play) went in, because it was a red zone call… I was thinking at that time that this is a one-shot deal and if it didn’t work, get ready for the next call and Ronnie please hold onto the ball,” Sparano said. “It was new; Ronnie was taking the ball in center field…but more importantly, just the conversation about the (defensive) look, the look that we were seeing, whether or not the look was the right look for the play. At that particular time, the look was the right look.”

The Dolphins ran their gadget package to perfection in that game, with Brown rushing for four touchdowns and passing for a fifth as Miami won, 38-18.

It didn’t help that even Mayo mentioned that tackling was a big issue for the Patriots in that game.

Mayo and the Patriots did a much better job the second time around last season, and they know what is required for them to be successful again on Sunday.

“I wouldn’t say patience; I would say discipline,” the defensive captain said. “If everybody does their job, I feel we’ll be OK.”

That Mayo, the center of the unit, is back to being himself, goes a long way toward helping New England’s cause. Sunday will mark Mayo’s fourth game back (third start) after missing three games with a sprained medial collateral ligament.

Mayo wouldn’t talk about his injury — and his speedy recovery from an injury that generally has a four-to-six-week bounce-back period. Belichick, however, said his star linebacker has been just fine since returning to the field.

“I think Jerod’s been doing everything for quite a while now —practice, runs, blitzes, drills in practice, playing in the games,” Belichick said. “I think he looks confident, comfortable. He’s running well, he’s changing directions well, he’s tackling well, so I think he’s fine.”

All of which will come in handy for Mayo when Miami inevitably goes to the Wildcat on Sunday.