Going into the regular-season finale, the Patriots are pretty much assured of having one of their best seasons in recent memory when it comes to penalties. Through 15 games, the Patriots have been flagged for 65 penalties (tied for second-best in the league) for a total of 594 yards (third-best in the league). They won’€™t beat the recent mark for New England teams under Belichick — that came in 2008 with 57 penalties and 501 yards — but it represents a dramatic dip from previous seasons. Last year, New England had 97 penalties for 840 yards in the regular season. In 2011, it was 87 penalties for 815 yards, and 83 penalties for 766 yards in 2010. In 2009, it was 81 penalties for 743 yards