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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-2)vs.NEW YORK JETS (4-4)**
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Gillette Stadium (68,756) - 1:00 p.m. EST

The Patriots will return to divisional play this week when they host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. New England holds a two-game lead over New York for the top spot in the AFC East and has recorded a 4-0 record in the division so far this season. The Patriots will look to bounce back from last week's loss to the Colts and have won their last 11 games following a loss, a streak that dates back to 2002.

BOUNCING BACK
The Patriots have not lost back-to-back games since December 2002, and their streak of 57 consecutive regular season games without back-to-back losses is the second longest streak since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. The last time the Patriots had a losing streak was when they dropped a game at Tennessee (24-7, 12/16/02), and followed that with a home loss to the N.Y. Jets (30-17, 12/22/02). Since then, New England has recorded an 11-0 record in games following a loss.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Patriots have recorded a 32-8 (.800) all-time record at Gillette Stadium, including regular-season and postseason games. New England's home record is the best of any NFL team since 2002, the year in which its state-of-the-art facility opened. The Patriots own 28 victories in their last 33 home games, and have allowed an NFL-low 15.88 points per game at home since 2002.

BEAST OF THE EAST
The Patriots are 15-2 in their last 17 games against AFC East opposition, a streak that dates back to September 2003. Since 2001, New England owns the best intra-division record in the NFL, compiling a 29-7 (.806) mark against AFC East foes. The Patriots have won three straight division crowns and have won the division in four of the last five years.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast by CBS. The game can be seen in Boston on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Jim Nantz will handle play-by-play duties and Phil Simms will provide analysis.

RADIO: WBCN 104.1 FM is the flagship station for the Patriots Rock Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 30th season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti for the 23rd season.

NATIONAL RADIO: This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One. Harry Kalas and Trev Alberts will call the game.

SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots and Jets will meet for the 94th time since the series between the AFC East rivals began in 1960. The Patriots have won seven straight and nine of the last 10 games between the teams, including sweeps in each of the last three years. The Patriots will bid for their fourth straight sweep of the Jets, a mark that would rank as the second largest number of consecutive sweeps of a divisional opponent, trailing only New England's five straight sweeps of the Buffalo Bills from 1983-87.The Jets hold a slight overall edge in the series, but the Patriots lead the series 16-9 since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. With their 94th meeting this week, the Jets tie the Buffalo Bills as the most frequent opponent in Patriots history. New England's 45 victories over the Jets (including one playoff win) are tied for the second most over any single opponent, trailing only Buffalo (53 all-time wins). A complete listing of the first 92 games between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets can be found on page 355 of the 2006 Patriots Media Guide. In addition to those 92 games, the Patriots defeated the Jets 24-17 at Giants Stadium on Sept. 17, 2006.

PATRIOTS-JETS QUICK HITS

• Eight members of the Jets' coaching staff are former Patriots players or coaches.

• The Patriots have held the Jets to seven points or less in three of the last five meetings between the teams, holding New York to an average of 11 points per game over that span.

• During the Patriots' seven-game winning streak over New York, they have intercepted Jets quarterbacks 11 times.

• New England has held the Jets to less than 55 total rushing yards in each of the last four meetings.

• The Patriots are 9-2 against the Jets since 2001.

• The Jets are the last team to defeat the Patriots following a loss (New England lost to Indianapolis last week). Since the Jets handed the Patriots a two-game losing streak with a 30- 17 win on Dec. 22, 2002, the Patriots are 11-0 following losses

SERIES SUCCESS
The Patriots have won seven straight games against the Jets, tying their third longest regular-season winning streak against an opponent. New England's seven straight wins over New York mark their longest winning streak against the Jets and ties for the second longest winning streak against a divisional opponent in team history. The team record for consecutive regular-season wins against an opponent is 11, achieved against the Buffalo Bills from Jan. 2, 1983 to Dec. 20, 1987.

PASSING PERFORMANCES
Tom Brady owns a 9-1 record against the Jets as a starting quarterback. Brady's nine victories over the Jets are his second highest total over a single opponent, trailing only his 11 wins over the Buffalo Bills. During the Patriots' current seven-game winning streak over the Jets, Brady has thrown just two interceptions while the Patriots have intercepted Jets quarterbacks 11 times. Jets signal caller Chad Pennington is scheduled to make his third start in Foxborough, holding a 1-1 record with a victory in 2002 and a loss in 2004.

CONNECTIONS

FORMER NFL CONNECTIONS

• As head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1995, Belichick hired Mike Tannenbaum as a personnel intern and Eric Mangini as a coaches assistant. Tannenbaum is now the Jets' general manager and Mangini is the Jets' head coach.

• Patriots special teams captain Larry Izzo played for the Miami Dolphins from 1996-2000, during which time Jets assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff was the Dolphins' special teams coach. Izzo earned his first Pro Bowl berth under Westhoff's tutelage in 2000.

• Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears and Jets offensive line coach Tony Wise were both members of the Chicago Bears coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball from 1993-98 under head coach Dave Wannstedt.

FORMER PATRIOTS/JETS CONNECTIONS

• Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was the Jets' assistant head coach/secondary for three seasons (1997-99).

• Jets head coach Eric Mangini was a member of the Patriots coaching staff for six seasons from 2000-05, serving as the secondary coach for the first five seasons and as New England's defensive coordinator in 2005.

• Defensive line coach Pepper Johnson played for two seasons with the Jets before retiring in 1999. In his first season with the Jets, he was voted captain before the start of the regular season.

• Special teams coach Brad Seely held the same position with the Jets in 1994.

• Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli was the director of pro personnel for the Jets from 1997-1999.

• Jets strength and conditioning coach Markus Paul was the Patriots' assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2000-04.

• Jets defensive backs coach Corwin Brown played safety for the Patriots from 1993-96.

• Jets assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox was a linebacker on the Patriots' 2001 world championship team.

• Jets assistant running backs/assistant special teams coach Sam Gash played fullback for the Patriots from 1992-97.

• Jets assistant strength and conditioning coach Rick Lyle was a defensive lineman for the Patriots from 2002-03.

• Jets running backs coach Jimmy Raye was the Patriots' offensive coordinator on head coach Rod Rust's staff in 1990.

• Patriots linebacker Don Davis originally signed with the Jets as a rookie free agent in the spring of 1995.

• Jets wide receiver Tim Dwight played for the Patriots in 2005, appearing in all 16 games and recording 19 catches for 332 yards and three touchdowns.

• Jets linebacker Matt Chatham played for the Patriots for six seasons from 2000-05. He played in 66 games with four starts and recorded 69 special teams tackles for New England.

• Jets defensive end Bobby Hamilton played for the Patriots for four seasons from 2000-03. In his four seasons in New England, Hamilton did not miss a game, starting 62 of 64 regular-season contests and all six playoff games. He led the team with seven sacks in 2001.

FORMER COLLEGE CONNECTIONS

• Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork and Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma were four-year teammates on the University of Miami defense from 2000-03.

• Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Jets fullback B.J. Askew and Jets linebacker Victor Hobson were teammates at the University of Michigan in 1999.

• Patriots safety Eugene Wilson and Jets guard Brandon Moore were four-year teammates at the University of Illinois from 1999-2002.

• Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel and Jets center Norm Katnik were four-year teammates at Southern Cal.

• Patriots wide receiver Bam Childress and Jets kicker Mike Nugent were four-year teammates at Ohio State from 2001-04. Jets center Nick Mangold was also Childress' teammate from 2002-04. and Jets linebacker Anthony Schlegel was a teammate in 2004.

• Patriots defensive back Chad Scott and Jets linebacker Eric Barton were teammates at the University of Maryland from 1995-96.

• Patriots offensive lineman Ryan O'Callaghan and Jets linebacker Ryan Riddle played together at the University of California from 2003-2004.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

DIVISIONAL DOMINANCE

29-7The Patriots' record against AFC East teams since 2001. The mark is the best intra-divisional record in the NFL over that span

15-2
The Patriots' record against divisional opponents since losing to Buffalo 31-0 in the 2003 regular-season opener.

4-0
The Patriots' record against the AFC East this season.

5-1
The Patriots' divisional record in each of the 2003, 2004 and 2005 seasons.

NY-NE CONNECTION

8
The number of coaches on the New York Jets staff who have either coached for the Patriots or played for the Patriots (Eric Mangini, Corwin Brown, Bryan Cox, Sam Gash, Rick Lyle, Markus Paul, Jimmy Raye and Andy Dickerson).

3
The number of current Jets players who have also played for the Patriots (Matt Chatham, Tim Dwight and Bobby Hamilton).

3
The number coaches on the Patriots staff who have either coached for the Jets or played for the Jets (Bill Belichick, Pepper Johnson and Brad Seely).

0
The number of Patriots players who have also played for the Jets (Don Davis was signed by the Jets as a rookie free agent in 1995 but did not play for the team).

THE JETS SERIES

7
The number of consecutive wins by the Patriots over the Jets, marking New England's longest winning streak in a series that dates back to 1960.

3The number of consecutive seasons in which the Patriots have swept the season series with the Jets. New England will bid for its fourth straight series sweep this week, a mark that would stand as the second highest number of consecutive sweeps over a divisional opponent in team history.

9-1
Tom Brady's career record as a starter against the Jets. His nine wins over the Jets are his second highest victory total over one opponent (Buffalo, 11).

THE KRAFT ERA

136The number of regular-season and playoff victories the Patriots have earned since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. That mark is the highest total in the NFL over that span.

4
The number of times the Patriots have appeared in the Super Bowl since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994. No other team has made more than two Super Bowl appearances in that span.

136-82
The Patriots' overall record since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994 (including postseason), a .624 winning percentage.

76-32
The Patriots' record at home since 1994, including regularseason and postseason games, a winning percentage of .704.

32-8
The Patriots' record at Gillette Stadium, including regular-season and postseason games (.800 win pct).

STINGY DEFENSE

14.3
The average number of points per game the Patriots have allowed in 2006.

4The Patriots' NFL rank in points allowed per game, tying them with Jacksonville. Only Denver, Baltimore and Chicago rank higher.

14.9
The Patriots team record for fewest points allowed per game in a full season, achieved in 2004.

17.71
The average number of points per game the Patriots have allowed since 2001, a mark that ranks third in the NFL over that span, trailing only Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

13
The number of times Bill Belichick's defenses have finished in the NFL's top 10 in fewest points allowed since he was first named a defensive coordinator in 1985.

MR. PATRIOT

538
The number of receptions that Troy Brown has recorded in a Patriots uniform, making him the Patriots' all-time leading receiver. He passed Stanley Morgan's old franchise mark with his 535th career reception in a game against Indianapolis on Nov. 5.

6,220The number of career receiving yards for Troy Brown, making him the second player in franchise history to reach the 6,000- yard mark (Stanley Morgan, 10,352).

14
The number of seasons in which Brown has donned a Patriots uniform, tying Bruce Armstrong and Steve Nelson for the second longest Patriots tenure, trailing only Steve Grogan (16 seasons).

2
The number of current NFL players who have been with their respective teams for more than the 14 seasons Brown has been a Patriot (Brett Favre, GB, and Jason Hanson, DET;15 seasons).

THE HEAD COACH

32
The number of years Bill Belichick has been an NFL coach, making him the longest tenured coach among the NFL's 32 head coaches.

7
The number of head coaches in the NFL or college who were assistant coaches under Belichick (Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Nick Saban, Charlie Weis, Kirk Ferentz, Pat Hill and Al Groh).

40-2
Belichick's record in New England when the Patriots score 25 points or more.

61-5
Belichick's record in New England when the Patriots score 21 points or more.

STREAKING

57
The number of consecutive games the Patriots have played since they last lost back-to-back games, dating back to December 2002. The streak is the second longest in NFL history. The San Francisco 49ers set the NFL record by going 60 games without losing two in a row from 1995-99.

133
The number of consecutive home games that the Patriots have sold out. The streak includes preseason, regular-season and playoff games and dates back to the 1994 regular-season opener. The streak also includes this week's game against the Jets.