AFC NOTES

PATRIOTS AIM TO CLINCH SEVENTH

CONSECUTIVE AFC EAST TITLE

 

The New England Patriots have reached 10-0 for the second time in franchise history and first time since 2007, when they finished the regular season undefeated and advanced to Super Bowl XLII.

“It feels good to win,” said quarterback TOM BRADY after the Patriots’ 20-13 win against the Bills on Monday Night Football. “It’s obviously hard to get to this point (10-0). So, we’ll just keep fighting.”

The Patriots are the fourth defending Super Bowl champion to start a season 10-0, joining Green Bay (13-0 in 2011), Denver (13-0 in 1998) and San Francisco (10-0 in 1990).

This weekend, New England can clinch its seventh consecutive division title, which would tie the 1973-79 Los Angeles Rams for the longest streak in NFL history. The Patriots will travel to Denver to face the Broncos in a battle of first-place teams in primetime on Sunday Night Football(8:30 PM ET, NBC).

The Patriots, who also won five consecutive division titles from 2003-2007, are the only team in NFL history to win 11 division championships in a 12-year span.

The teams with the most consecutive division titles:

 

TEAM	SEASONS	CONSECUTIVE DIVISION TITLES
Los Angeles Rams	1973-79	7
New England Patriots	2009-14	6*
Cleveland Browns	1950-55	6
Dallas Cowboys	1966-71	6
Minnesota Vikings	1973-78	6
Pittsburgh Steelers	1974-79	6
*Active streak; can clinch AFC East title in Week 12

Since the NFL instituted the 16-game schedule in 1978, five teams have clinched a division a title after 11 games. Four of those five teams advanced to the Super Bowl, including the 1985 Chicago Bears, who finished the season 15-1 en route to a Super Bowl XX victory.

The teams to clinch a division title after 11 games since 1978:

TEAM	YEAR	RECORD AFTER 11 GAMES	FINAL RECORD	PLAYOFF RESULT
Chicago Bears	1985	11-0	15-1	Won Super Bowl XX
San Francisco 49ers	1997	10-1	13-3	Advanced to NFC Championship
Philadelphia Eagles	2004	10-1	13-3	Advanced to Super Bowl XXXIX
New England Patriots	2007	11-0	16-0	Advanced to Super Bowl XLII
Indianapolis Colts	2009	11-0	14-2	Advanced to Super Bowl XLIV
New England Patriots	2015	10-0*	??	??
*Through 10 games

Dating back to the 2014 postseason, the Patriots have won 13 consecutive games, the third-longest winning streak in franchise annals.

New England leads the NFL in scoring defense (18.2 points per game) and ranks first in the AFC in scoring offense (32.3 points per game). The Patriots aim to become the first NFL team to lead a conference in both scoring offense and defense in the same season since the 2006 Chicago Bears.

             NFC NOTES

PANTHERS ENTER THANKSGIVING WITH PERFECT 10-0 RECORD

The Carolina Panthers are 10-0 for the first time in franchise history and will face the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day (CBS, 4:30 PM ET). Dating back to last season, the Panthers have won 14 consecutive regular-season games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Carolina, who will play on the holiday for the first time in franchise history, will join the 2011 Green Bay Packers (10-0) as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to play on Thanksgiving Day with a 10-0 record or better.

“It’s an honor to get to play on Thanksgiving,” says Panthers quarterback CAM NEWTON, who tied a franchise record with five touchdown passes in last week’s 44-16 win over Washington. “It feels great to be 10-0. But we have a short week and we’ve got to get ready for Dallas.”

At 10-0, the Panthers have joined some elite company. Entering 2015, 15 teams started a season 10-0 during the Super Bowl era. Of those 15 clubs, all 15 qualified for the playoffs, nine advanced to the Super Bowl and six of those teams won the Super Bowl.

A look at the teams in the Super Bowl era to start 10-0:

TEAM	YEAR	UNDEFEATED START	FINAL RECORD	RESULT
Los Angeles Rams	1969	11-0	11-3	Advanced to Conference Championship
Miami Dolphins	1972	14-0	14-0	Won Super Bowl VII
Minnesota Vikings	1975	10-0	12-2	Advanced to Divisional Playoffs
Miami Dolphins	1984	11-0	14-2	Advanced to Super Bowl XIX
Chicago Bears	1985	12-0	15-1	Won Super Bowl XX
New York Giants	1990	10-0	13-3	Won Super Bowl XXV
San Francisco 49ers	1990	10-0	14-2	Advanced to Conference Championship
Washington Redskins	1991	11-0	14-2	Won Super Bowl XXVI
Denver Broncos	1998	13-0	14-2	Won Super Bowl XXXIII
Indianapolis Colts	2005	13-0	14-2	Advanced to Divisional Playoffs
New England Patriots	2007	16-0	16-0	Advanced to Super Bowl XLII
Tennessee Titans	2008	10-0	13-3	Advanced to Divisional Playoffs
Indianapolis Colts	2009	14-0	14-2	Advanced to Super Bowl XLIV
New Orleans Saints	2009	13-0	13-3	Won Super Bowl XLIV
Green Bay Packers	2011	13-0	15-1	Advanced to Divisional Playoffs
Carolina Panthers	2015	??	??	??
New England Patriots	2015	??	??	??

“The biggest thing we have to understand is that we have to maintain our focus,” says Panthers head coach RON RIVERA about being 10-0. “Teams are going to come in and give us their best shot so we have to respond by playing our best.”

The Panthers, who finished the 2014 season with a 7-8-1 record, are the first team in the Super Bowl era to start 10-0 in the season following a losing campaign.