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FOXBORO - The New Kids on the Block may be back, but they've got a lot more mileage on them than some other "new kids" who took center stage Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.

The new kids who should be of more interest to Patriot Nation were the group of young linebackers that got significant playing time in the Patriots' preseason-opening, 16-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Rookies Shawn Crable, Jerod Mayo, Vince Redd and Gary Guyton and younger pros Pierre Woods and Eric Alexander were given the opportunity to show their stuff by Patriots' coach Bill Belichick, and the results were encouraging.

Mayo, the No. 1 draft pick this year, and Woods, in his third year out of Michigan, joined veterans Tedy Bruschi and Adalius Thomas in the starting lineup, with the others filtering in as the game progressed. The youngsters accounted for a total of 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits, three passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

"It's basically about opportunities," said Crable, another Michigan product, who tied cornerback Terrence Wheatley for team-high tackle honors with four. "You only get a certain number before the preseason ends to show what you can do. You try to take advantage of all of them, try not to make mistakes and just try to do what the coaches ask you to do." "We've still got work to do, as does everyone," said Woods, who had a 6-yard sack, the forced fumble and the recovery to his credit. "Some guys made some plays and that's what the coaches want to see."

For the most part, the younger crew was active, aware and not in awe of their surroundings. Woods and Alexander have the most experience, in their third and fourth pro seasons respectively, but even they must be considered not too far removed from their rookie days because of the difficulty they've had getting on the field ahead of the veterans of the Patriots' linebacking corps.

For them, the pressure is on because of the younger crop in camp. There are only so many roster spots, and it doesn't appear that Bruschi, Thomas or Mike Vrabel will be giving way any time soon. So, as Woods said, every facet of preparation for a new season is important.

"The whole offseason, I was up here for almost the entire year working out and working hard," he said. "I'll continue to do the things I'm supposed to do to become a better linebacker, and hopefully it will all pay off."

It appeared to with 9:32 left to play, when Woods blasted through to drop Ravens' third-string QB Joe Flacco, the rookie from Delaware, for a 6-yard loss. The ball squirted free and Woods recovered at the Baltimore 31, which set up the Patriots' only touchdown-finishing drive of the night.

"I just rushed up the field hard, and the ball was right there," he said, "so I stripped the ball and luckily I recovered it."

Crable also created a turnover when he picked off a pass by starting quarterback Kyle Boller with 6:38 left in the first half. That helped break up the Baltimore shutout to that point, setting up one of Stephen Gostkowski's three field goals.

Crable said he's fully aware of the pressure that's on a rookie to produce in preseason games.

"When you have guys like Vrabel and Adalius in front of you, you have to make the coaches comfortable that, if something happens to them, you can play and perform," he said. "There's some pressure there to back them up and to fill the position that they do, you can fill it like they do."

Belichick, who always believes that there is always room for improvement in just about any performance, was still very complimentary about the efforts of his younger linebackers. "I thought Shawn and Jerod played hard," he said. "Same thing with Guyton and Redd too, for that matter. They really took the plays that we taught them and they practiced them and translated them over onto the field. There were other things that weren't quite as good that need to be corrected and improved.

"I'm encouraged and glad they had the opportunity to play as much as they did," he added. "It was a good experience for all those young linebackers."

Even more impressive was the seeming ease with which Mayo and Crable transitioned themselves to the pro game. If there were rookie butterflies in their stomachs, they hid them well.

"I think everyone is nervous their first game," Woods said. "I was nervous my first game. It's the NFL, not college any more. In college you have a little bit more fun and time on your hands and here its work, work, work.

"You've got to do your job and know what you're supposed to do and pay attention to detail," he said.

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.