THE HEAD COACHES
BILL BELICHICK
Overall Record: 72-70 (.507)
Regular Season: 68-69 (.496)
Postseason: 4-1 (.800)
With New England overall: 35-25 (.583)
Overall since Oct. 26, 2001: 29-11 (.725)

Bill Belichick is celebrating his 29th consecutive season as an NFL coach, and has been one of the most successful coaches in the league over the past three decades. He has been a part of three Super Bowl championship teams, including the memorable victory in Super Bowl XXXVI that brought the Patriots their first title in franchise history. Belichick has ensured that the spark of the Super Bowl season ignited a run of success that will last well into the future. Since Oct. 14, 2001, the Patriots have blossomed, rattling off 29 wins in their last 40 games and making Belichick the second winningest NFL Head Coach since Week Four of the 2001 season.

BILL PARCELLS
Overall Record: 156-108-1 (.591)
Regular Season: 145-102-1 (.587)
Postseason: 11-6 (.647)
With Dallas overall: 7-2 (.778)
Overall since Oct. 26, 2001: 7-2 (.778)

Bill Parcells is in his first season as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and has already presided over an improved team coming off of back-to-back 5-11 seasons. Parcells is the NFL's third-winningest active coach, and has won two Super Bowl championships, both with the New York Giants (1986 and 1990). Parcells was the head coach of the Giants from 1983-90, before joining the Patriots as the head coach in 1993. Parcells coached the Patriots for four seasons, recording a 32-32 record and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. He served as the head coach and chief football operating officer for the New York Jets from 1997-99 and brought New York to the AFC Championship Game in 1998.

CONNECTIONS
- Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells was New England's head coach for four seasons (1993-1996) and collected a 32-32 record. He also served as the Patriots linebackers coach in 1980.

• Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells coached together for 15 seasons with the Giants, Patriots and Jets. The pair went to three Super Bowls together and won two championships.

• Eleven current Patriots played for Bill Parcells at one point in their careers. Troy Brown, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Ted Johnson, Tedy Bruschi and Adam Vinatieri with the Patriots; Bobby Hamilton, Anthony Pleasant, Rick Lyle, Roman Phifer and Fred Baxter with the Jets.

• Patriots strength and conditioning coach Mike Woicik entered the NFL ranks with the Dallas Cowboys in 1990. During his seven seasons with the Cowboys, the team totaled an 89-38 record, including 12 playoff victories and three Super Bowl championships.

• Patriots safety Chris Akins was signed to the Cowboys active roster in September of 1999 and played with them until the middle of the following season.

• Patriots wide receiver David Givens earned three letters in football while playing eight different positions at Humble High School in Humble, Texas.

• Cowboys offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon began his coaching career in New England in 1994 as an offensive assistant on Parcells' staff and led the Patriots running backs in 1995.

• Cowboys tight ends coach Tony Sparano was born on Oct. 7, 1961 in West Haven, Conn. and was a four-year letterman at center at the University of New Haven. He started his career coaching at New Haven, before spending six seasons at Boston University, and then five more as the head coach at New Haven.

• Cowboys center Bill Conaty was with the Patriots during 2003 training camp.

• Cowboys wide receiver Terry Glenn played for the Patriots from 1996-2001. He was originally taken in the first round (seventh overall) in the 1996 NFL draft by the Patriots, where he went on to earn all-rookie honors with an NFL rookie record 90 receptions.

WITH A WIN THIS WEEK
If the Patriots win this week, they would…

• Be 8-2 for the second time in team history (1978).

• Have eight wins in their last nine games.

• Have a six-game winning streak for the first time since they won nine regular-season games in a row (11/25/01 to 09/22/02).

• Have won six of their last seven games against NFC opponents.

PASSING PERFORMANCES
Tom Brady will start against the Cowboys for the first time in his career. Brady has compiled a record of 16-7 (.696) when facing a team for the first time. He has compiled a 9-4 (.692) career record against NFC opponents, including five wins in his last six games against the NFC.

HOME COOKING
The Patriots are 9-3 (.750) at Gillette Stadium since their new home opened in 2002, including a 4-0 record this season. The Patriots have won seven of their last eight home games and are 15-5 (.750) at home since 2001. Foxborough has proven to be a very hospitable place for the Patriots since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. Since that time, the Patriots hold a 67-33 (.670) record at home, including preseason, regular-season and postseason games.