FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady was a skinny, lightly regarded draft prospect. Bill Belichick had a losing record as a head coach.

Then they joined the New England Patriots in 2000 and made history with three Super Bowl championships.

Now they’re just one win away from another milestone — the most regular-season victories by any coach and quarterback pair since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.

What’s the secret?

“I have no idea what it takes. I really don’t,” Brady said. “I think I’m just fortunate to be here for as long as I’ve been here and to play under coach Belichick.”

That winning combination got its 116th victory last Sunday, beating Dallas 20-16. It tied Belichick and Brady with the total of Don Shula and Dan Marino of Miami from 1983 to 1995.

The Steelers combo of Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw had the record of 107 wins from 1970 to 1983 before Shula and Marino overtook them.

And Belichick and Brady should go far beyond 117. Neither shows signs of slowing down with Brady ranked second among NFL quarterbacks and Belichick guiding the Patriots to the AFC’s best record at 5-1.

It takes a rare mixture to produce such prolonged success — an outstanding coach and quarterback, excellent communication between the two and a strong supporting cast of players.

“The most important thing in coaching is to analyze the talent that you’ve got to work with and then to put them in a position where they can best utilize that talent,” Shula said. “I had (Bob) Griese, who was a Hall of Fame quarterback, a guy who did a great job for me. But if I would have tried to have Marino pattern his game after Griese, then that would have taken away from Marino’s great talent.

“I think Marino’s the best pure passer that’s played the game. I just feel that when you’ve got a guy with that kind of talent you just give him all the weapons and give him the opportunity to use that talent.”

Brady’s talent wasn’t obvious coming out of Michigan.

He wasn’t drafted until the sixth round. And Belichick had losing records in four of his five seasons as Cleveland’s head coach from 1991-95, leaving with a 36-44 mark.

But Brady got his chance when Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding from a torn blood vessel in his chest in the second game of the 2001 season. The next week, Brady won his first pro start, 44-13 over Indianapolis, without throwing a touchdown pass.

Belichick stuck with Brady even when Bledsoe was cleared to play. The relationship has flourished ever since.

“We have spent, through the years, a decent amount of time together on a regular basis,” Belichick said. “We talk regularly during the week about what’s going to happen, how we’re doing it and then we review what did happen and then we move on to the next stage.

“I think it’s important that both philosophically and from a game management standpoint that the coach and quarterback are on the same page.”

Belichick and Brady have a remarkable .779 regular-season winning percentage (116-33), while Shula and Marino’s was .630 (116-68). But all of them had an intense commitment to work and improve.

Wes Welker has seen that from his coach and quarterback.

“I don’t think there’s been one time when I’ve parked my car here and (Belichick’s) car hasn’t been in his spot,” the NFL leader in catches and yards receiving said. “He’s constantly here trying to help us and make us better.

“And then Tom, he’s Tom and always trying to find a way to do something better, as far as eating,” Welker said with a smile, “more flax seed, or whatever it is.”