RECORD Patriots not talking about streak

A win Sunday would be a record-breaking 19th straight for New England.
FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) -- The New England Patriots won't bite.
Not if an opponent tries to fool them with a strange play or a reporter slips in a question about their chance for an NFL record 19th straight win.
"On a scale of 1 to 19," Mike Vrabel was asked Wednesday, what would a win Sunday over Miami mean?
"It gets us to 4-0" this season," he replied..
Maybe tight end Christian Fauria, always good for an original quip, would talk about the streak that would reach 19 games with a win at home against the winless Dolphins.
Have any friends or family members broached the subject?
"I have no friends," he said with a laugh. "My neighbor asked me about it and as quickly as he brought it up it was quickly dismissed. I'd rather talk about something else."
Coach Bill Belichick and the other players feel the same way.
Some close wins
Perhaps the fact that 11 of the 18 wins, including the playoffs, were by 10 points or less keeps the Patriots from looking past their next opponent. Maybe Belichick's insistence on forgetting the last game has taken hold throughout the locker room.
But with each win, questions about the streak keep coming and players keep repeating that the only game that matters is the next one.
"I'm sorry. I can't even make something up," Fauria said. "It's just not an issue."
The Patriots became one of six teams in NFL history to win 18 straight games when they beat Buffalo 31-17 last Sunday. They can break the record against Miami, one of the teams that shares the mark.
The Dolphins did it when they followed a perfect 17-0 season in 1972 by winning their first game in 1973.
Coach Bill Belichick praised the Dolphins defense even though they are 0-4 with a weak offense. But none of their losses has been by more than 10 points and they haven't given up more than 17 points in any game.
"They've got too much pride and they've got too many good players and older players," Fauria said. "We're expecting nothing but their best, regardless of what their record is."
A major upset
Still, it would be a major upset for a team that hasn't won all season to beat a team that hasn't lost in more than a year.
"Anybody who is thinking about last year or our first three games [this year] is not doing this team any justice and doesn't deserve a spot in this locker room," quarterback Tom Brady said.
"This makes absolutely zero difference in the outcome of this game, and, as many people that want to talk about it, no one here cares."