Early warning system in place

The Patriots have captured six AFC East titles, including three in the last seven seasons. The earliest date they've ever captured a division crown was Dec. 10, 1978, with a 26-24 win over AFC East foe Buffalo in Foxborough to improve to 11-4 with one remaining game. It marked the first year the NFL played a 16-game regular-season slate.

New England's five other division titles were all clinched on the last day of the season -- or in the case of 1964, in a one-game playoff. The team has twice clinched the division title with a win by beating the Dolphins -- with a 14-12 win in Miami Dec. 22, 1997 and a 34-27 win in Miami Dec. 22, 1986.

A win Sunday would give the team the league title outright by virtue of sweeping second-place Miami (8-4), the only other AFC East team with a winning record.

"We don't want to depend on anybody else; we want to handle our own business," said Patriots guard Damien Woody. "We have a great opportunity this weekend to go ahead and take care of our own business. We've been on the road the past couple of weeks and now we're at home and we haven't lost at home all year. This would be the perfect opportunity to wrap up the division."

The Patriots could wrap up a playoff berth with a tie and a Denver loss or tie, plus a loss by either Cincinnati or Baltimore.

Yet, this is a team that has garnered the NFL's longest win streak (eight games) by focusing on the opponent at hand and not the implications of victory or defeat. The Patriots insist it will be the same this weekend against a Miami team that has lost just once on the road (at Tennessee) and has won its last three games.

"[Clinching the division title] is a consequence of the game that will be determined after the game is over," said linebacker Tedy Bruschi. "That won't help us win any football games, knowing what the consequence is if we win it. What we have to do is focus on what will help us win the game."

The players have held fast to the conviction of taking care of the little things, and in the process have won five of their last eight games by fewer than 7 points. The Patriots are 6-0 against teams that have winning records -- despite using 42 different starters this season.

They lead the NFL with 23 consecutive victories when holding a lead entering the fourth quarter.

"We just have to play. We can't worry about all of this, `We can clinch' or we can do whatever," said running back Kevin Faulk. "And as you see, football in the NFL is very close from winning and losing.

"We could easily have lost four out of the [eight] games in a row we've won, maybe five of those games, maybe all of them. There's no room for error; you have to just go out and execute every week."

That mentality undoubtedly originates from the coaching staff. Despite closing in on a playoff berth and having a 10-win season -- two things that some figured unlikely after New England lost its season opener at Buffalo, 31-0 -- coach Bill Belichick said yesterday he has not contemplated the team's fortunes.

"I don't spend a lot of time looking at it that way or trying to evaluate it that way," said Belichick. "I just look at this week. It's Miami. Here's what we have, here's what we think they're going to do. What's the best we can put out there, schematically, personnel-wise, and, from a play-calling or substitution standpoint, what are our best matchups? It's just week to week."