By HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.(AP) -- Seven games into his comeback season, a
healthy Tom Brady has the New England Patriots where he wants
them - on top of the AFC East.

And now it's November, time for him to really get rolling.

As a starter, Brady is 41-15 in September and October. But once
November begins, he's 64-14 in the regular season and playoffs.
Now, coming off a bye week with a 5-2 record, he's comfortable
again after a left knee injury ended his 2008 season in the
opener. He's familiar with an offensive cast that has changed
with injuries to running backs Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris and
wide receiver Julian Edelman.

"For the most part, guys are in the spots where they need to
be," Brady said Wednesday. "We have a pretty good understanding
how we're going to attack people. I think everyone's excited for
what's ahead."

The upcoming schedule is much tougher than the one the Patriots
have played so far. It starts Sunday in the first of two games
against the AFC rival Dolphins and continues the next three
weeks when they face the Colts, the division opponent Jets and
the currently unbeaten Saints.

That's quite an upgrade from the last two games, wins of 59-0
over Tennessee and 35-7 over Tampa Bay when both opponents were
winless.

"We have some great opponents, a lot of division games. This
one's a huge game for us," Brady said. "We haven't played Miami
yet. They beat us here last year in the worst defeat that we've
ever had here at Gillette Stadium."

That came in the third game, a 38-13 loss with Matt Cassel at
quarterback in place of the injured Brady. That was the first
game in which the Dolphins used their wildcat offense and they
scored on four of the six plays in which they lined up in it.

Last December, Cassel led the Patriots to a 4-0 record and a
first-place tie with the Dolphins at 11-5. But that finish
couldn't get New England into the playoffs as Miami won the AFC
East on the third tiebreaker, conference record. The Patriots
would have gotten in if they hadn't lost to Indianapolis 18-15
on a fourth-quarter field goal or to the Jets 34-31 in overtime.

Brady couldn't do anything to help the Patriots then, but he's
well aware of the significance of each game, especially those
against AFC East opponents.

"To win a division, you have to play good in the division.
You're not going to win the division and be 3-3 every year.
We're 1-1 in the division right now," he said. "We have four key
division games coming up and this one is right at the top of the
list."

The Dolphins are built upon the philosophy of Bill Parcells,
their executive vice president for football operations. He likes
big, strong, physical players and the defense is loaded with
them.

"I think everything that Bill believes in is evident to this
team," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "All the defensive
linemen are all strong. All the linebackers are big. All the
outside linebackers can rush. All the corners are big. The
running backs are big. The tackles are big. They are a big,
powerful team.

"I don't think you could do much better than he's done in his
coaching career or general manager career, whatever you want to
call it," said Belichick, a former defensive coordinator under
Parcells.

Those big guys will be taking aim at Brady. So far, the
Patriots' most important player hasn't absorbed many hard hits.

"It's just been one of those seasons where there haven't been
many sacks," he said. "I understand how to take care of my body
and get the treatment I need. It's been a good year thus far."

Brady is the fourth-rated passer in the AFC. He's completed 65.6
percent of his passes for 293 yards per game with 15 touchdowns
- one less than the league leaders - four interceptions and
eight sacks.

And now it's November, Brady's traditional time to raise his
game.

"You're trying to get your players in the best position possible
so that they can go make plays," he said. "Over the years, we
have done that. I think that's why I have always enjoyed the
later part of the season because your team is what it is at that
point. You've really seen what the other defenses can do."