Ian M. Clark: Pats in familiar place

IT'S NOT EVEN December yet and the AFC East race is over.

With Buffalo's 36-14 loss at Jacksonville yesterday, the New England Patriots clinched the AFC East division crown and have now earned an automatic playoff berth.

The Patriots (10-0) were set to host Philadelphia (5-5) at Gillette Stadium last night. That game was not over as of press time.

The division crown makes it five in a row for the Patriots, something no other AFC East team has ever done. New England has won six out of the past seven AFC East titles.

►24-point underdog Eagles take unbeaten Pats to edge (1)

This ties the earliest clinching of a division in NFL history since the league went to 16 games in 1978. The other teams to clinch a division this early were the 1985 Bears, 1997 49ers and 2004 Eagles.

As for clinching home field advantage in the AFC playoffs, the Patriots still have some work to do. Indianapolis is in second in the AFC at 9-2. Jacksonville is 8-3 and Pittsburgh enters tonight's Monday Night Football clash with Miami at 7-3.

Indy would have to win out and have the Patriots lose three games to win the AFC since New England owns the head-to-head tie-breaker thanks to a 24-20 win.

The Steelers could enhance their own chances when they visit Gillette Stadium on Dec. 9 to play the Patriots. New England needs to win four more games (or fewer depending on the other contenders' outcomes) to clinch home field.

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RECOMMENDED READING: Looking for a holiday gift for the literary-minded Patriots fan on your list? "The Blueprint: How the New England Patriots beat the system to create the last great NFL superpower" by Christopher Price should fit the bill nicely.

Asante Samuel returns an interception for a touchdown ahead of Eagles running back Brian Westbrook early in the first quarter of last night's 31-28 Patriots' victory. (AP)

A Pats beat writer for the Boston Metro, Price has covered the team since the magical 2001 season. He recaps the origins of the franchise and provides some colorful stories about the Patriots that you probably never heard before.

Price's level of research is evident. His chronicles of the checkered past of the team to its current power are thorough and his sources varied as he draws on the experience of everyone from former players to season ticket holders to fellow beat writers.

While the history of the Patriots is in depth and solid, the real meat of the book focuses on head coach Bill Belichick and his incredibly successful run in Foxborough.

Price explores the philosophy behind the Patriots' success wherein Belichick and player personnel director Scott Pioli target reasonably-priced veterans rather than splashy big-name, big-money guy that cripple so many other organizations with their contracts.

Even though the Patriots' dance with the salary cap is a main topic, Price doesn't bog the book down with numbers so you don't need a degree in accounting to enjoy it.

There are no long, exclusive one-on-one sitdown interviews with Belichick or owner Robert Kraft or quarterback Tom Brady, but the point of the book is not the individuals but the sum of the parts.

Price seeks to capture the big picture and succeeds with an engaging read that's sure to please the Patriots fan on your shopping list. Released last month, the hardcover book has a $24.95 cover price and is available through online outlets as well as traditional bookstores.

Ian M. Clark covers pro football for the New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News. His e-mail address is iclark@unionleader.com.