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FOXBORO -- Don't even think of suggesting to Corey Dillon that he should sit out the last game of the regular season as a precaution.

"Not at all,'' the Patriots' running back said. " Last game -- I just want to finish strong, and that's what I'm going to prepare to do.''

Finishing strong is something Dillon has done all season long. In his trek of 1,519 yards over 14 of the Patriots' 15 games to date, the veteran running back has been the football equivalent of Keith Foulke of the Red Sox. He's the closer, the man who whom Tom Brady hands the ball with the intent of protecting a lead and taking valuable time off the clock.

Along the way, Dillon has carved out a special niche for himself in Patriot lore. He broke Curtis Martin's team record for single-season rushing last week against the New York Jets, a mark of 1,487 yards that had stood since 1995.

Dillon, in his eighth NFL season, feigned ignorance of the record at the beginning of his session with reporters earlier this week, but warmed up to the notion of his place in history after a while. "The God's honest truth, if you (asked) me what it was, the mark, I couldn't tell you,'' he said."That was something I really didn't worry about. I just went out there and played football.

"If I got a record in the process, it's a contribution to this offensive team. Defense, special teams -- everyone contributed to getting that record. It wasn't something I set out to do, to be honest with you.''

Martin, who spent three years with the Patriots, and Dillon, who spent his first seven seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, have followed similar statistical paths. Martin has been over 1,000 yards in each of his 10 NFL seasons, while Dillon accomplished the feat in his first six before a groin injury and his own discontent with the losing ways of the Bengals stopped his streak in 2003.