FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Bill Belichick really showed how focused he can be when there’s a game to win.


Hours after his father died, Belichick led his New England Patriots into Sunday’s 24-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints. His sideline demeanor hadn’t changed. His players didn’t know. And his sights for those three-plus hours were zeroed in on his usual goal winning.


“He did exactly what his father would have wanted him to,” wide receiver Deion Branch said.


Steve Belichick died of heart failure Saturday night at the age of 86. He had spent 33 years as an assistant football coach at the Naval Academy, where he used to take his son to work and where he watched Saturday afternoon’s win over Temple. Then he watched more college football games on television that night.


“Yesterday, he did what he enjoyed doing,” his son said. “He had dinner and I spoke with him after the (Navy) game.”


After Sunday’s game, Belichick left town, leaving assistant head coach Dante Scarnecchia in charge for a few days to prepare for next Sunday’s game at Kansas City.


The Patriots (6-4) lead the weak AFC East by two games but know they must get better.


New Orleans (2-8) had a chance to tie the game until Aaron Brooks’ pass into the end zone was intercepted by Eugene Wilson on the final play. A week earlier Miami (now 3-7) also could have tied until Gus Frerotte’s fourth-down pass into the end zone missed its target with 36 seconds left in the Patriots’ 23-16 win.


“It was a little too close,” defensive end Richard Seymour said of the latest win. “We’re making progress, but there’s still a long way to go.”


The Patriots nearly squandered a 14-0 lead and Tom Brady’s three touchdown passes. They couldn’t keep Brooks from throwing two scoring passes that gave him the club record of 116, one more than Archie Manning. They did manage to win consecutive games for the first time after winning back-to-back Super Bowls the past two seasons.


“I thought we played the run pretty well and, for the most part, contained Brooks,” Belichick said. “It is a little bit of a short week (of preparation) now with Thanksgiving and all of that, and it is just important to be able to maintain our focus.”


The Saints season-long struggle continued. Displaced from the Louisiana Superdome by Hurricane Katrina, they’ve played home games in three cities and lost their last six games, although three of those losses were by seven points or less.


“When you play the defending champs in a hostile environment, you can’t make mistakes,” Saints defensive end Tony Bryant said, “and we made too many on defense to win.”


New Orleans allowed the Patriots to march 98 yards on their first possession to Brady’s 2-yard scoring pass to Branch, gave up a 1-yard touchdown throw to linebacker Mike Vrabel and then a 60-yarder to Andre’ Davis on a 93-yard drive in the third quarter. Adam Vinatieri’s 37-yard field goal made it 24-7 midway through the fourth.


Brooks’ second touchdown pass to Donte’ Stallworth, a 12-yarder, made it 24-14 and broke Manning’s record with 5 minutes remaining.


“I’d rather we got the win,” Brooks said.


John Carney added a 46-yard field goal with 2:20 to go and the Saints regained the ball with 1:36 left.


With the ball at the Patriots 22-yard line on the next to last play, Brooks threw deep into the left corner of the end zone where Stallworth outfought the Patriots for it but caught it beyond the end line.


“The refs control the tempo of the game,” said Stallworth, who wanted the Patriots penalized for pass interference. “You feel something should be called and it’s not. It’s very frustrating.”


The game ended on the next play with Wilson’s interception.


The Patriots celebrated in the end zone and on the sidelines. They left the field with smiles that wouldn’t last very long.


In the locker room, Belichick finally told them about his father’s death.


“He came in (the game) focused,” Seymour said. “You could really tell in his postgame speech. He really had a heavy heart.”


Notes:

Brooks matched his season-high of 27 completions on a season-high 50 attempts. His 343 yards passing were his second most of the season. … The Patriots’ 98-yard drive was their longest since a 98-yarder in a 42-23 win over Miami on Nov. 3, 1996. … Heath Evans, signed as a free agent Nov. 1, led the Patriots with 74 yards on 16 carries after rushing for 84 against Miami. Starter Corey Dillon was inactive after missing all but the first play against Miami with a calf injury.