Patriots hope to turn over new leaf

The lack of turnovers -- one interception (by linebacker Mike Vrabel) and two forced fumbles -- is also at the top of the list. Only the Texans (zero) have fewer interceptions.

''Right now," Belichick said, ''we're in a little bit of a dry spell."

The Patriots' turnover ratio of minus-6 ranks them in a tie for 26th in the NFL.

Belichick often points out that statistics can be twisted in many ways, but he doesn't dispute the importance of turnover ratio. At least twice this week, he's noted that the Patriots are beating unlikely odds by losing the turnover battle in each of their last two victories.

''We'd like to get them and, statistically, we're fighting an uphill battle when we're on the negative turnover ratio and winning games, especially on the road. That's not normally the correlation," he said. ''We'd like to get more. We work on them. We're going to keep working on them. Hopefully they will come in spurts."

This is the area where the loss of cornerback Ty Law (2 INTs with the Jets) and linebacker Tedy Bruschi (3 INTs, 4 forced fumbles in 2004) might affect the Patriots the most. Both were playmakers.

Through the years, Belichick defenses have generally had enough playmakers to finish on the plus side in turnover ratio. The Patriots were plus-7 in 2001 en route to their championship in Super Bowl XXXVI. In 2002, they were plus-5, followed by plus-17 in 2003. Last year, the team was plus-9.

The only year the Belichick-led Patriots posted a negative ratio (minus-2) was 2000, his first as coach.

A look at defenses coached by Belichick over the years shows a similar trend. As assistant head coach/secondary coordinator with the Jets from 1997-99, New York had a plus ratio each season and was plus-22 combined over those three seasons.

The 1996 Patriots -- with Belichick as secondary coach/assistant head coach -- was plus-7.

From 1991-95, when Belichick was head coach of the Browns, Cleveland finished even in turnover ratio, with two plus seasons and three minus seasons.