FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – If the New England Patriots want to take the NFL’s consecutive wins record this season, they’ll have to take it from the franchise that has held it for more than 30 years.

The Miami Dolphins won 18 straight games in the 1972 and 1973 seasons, including a perfect 1972 season and Super Bowl victory. If the Patriots win their first three games, they have a chance to break that record in their fourth game on Oct. 1 at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots had a 15-game winning streak from their 2003-04 season, including a Super Bowl victory against the Carolina Panthers.

The team, which announced its 2004 schedule on Wednesday, opens the regular season at home Thursday, Sept. 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Super Bowl champions will appear in five nationally televised games, including regular season contests with Kansas City, Miami, Buffalo and Indianapolis, and a preseason game against Carolina.

The first regular season road game is Sept. 19 against the Cardinals in Arizona, the farthest the Patriots will travel all season.

The Patriots follow the Arizona game with an early scheduled bye week before another road game in Buffalo.

After the Buffalo game, the Patriots host their first three-game home stand since 2001 against Miami, Seattle and the New York Jets.

The Patriots travel for games in Pittsburgh and St. Louis before returning for their second game of the season against the Bills, a Nov. 14 prime time battle on ESPN.

New England also plays the Baltimore Ravens and back-to-back games against Ohio teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns.

The Patriots close the regular season Jan. 2 against the San Francisco 49ers.

The preseason schedule starts Aug. 13 at Gillette Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team takes the road to play in Cincinnati and Carolina and returns for a final preseason game Sept. 1 against Jacksonville.