FOXBORO -- New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been faced with this well-discussed situation many times before. This week isn't any different.

With a playoff berth in hand and one game to go, does Belichick give some of his starters a rest this weekend? Does he pull quarterback Tom Brady from the game early? Do the players who normally play in a reserve role take most of the snaps?

Those all are tough questions to answer. Belichick wanted to make it clear during his press conference yesterday at Gillette Stadium that he's treating this game just like any other one. There's still a lot at stake for both the Patriots and the Tennessee Titans this weekend.

The third seed in the conference still is available for the Pats to grab, while their opponent in Sunday's season-finale, the Titans, has won six straight and needs a win to have a chance to reach the postseason.

"We're looking at playing the whole game just like we do every other time, that's our job," said Patriots veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel. "When Bill tells me to come out, I'll be out. I work for the Patriots, so when they tell me to come out [I'll come out]."

Unlike recent years, the Patriots are not on top of their game heading into the playoffs. Last season, the Pats had won six of their last seven games entering the season finale against Miami, which it lost. This season, even though New England has won five of its last six games, they weren't resounding victories.

Clinching the AFC East title last weekend in Jacksonville helped, but the Pats need a huge game against the Titans as a springboard to the postseason. A team wants to be playing well entering the playoffs, but you also need to have your players healthy.

"Now, there have been situations in the past where you don't have to go out there and play because you have a first-round bye or you're playing at a great level," said Vrabel. "We're not playing at a level where we think we can go on. Our product right now won't do much in the playoffs. We need to get better, and the way you do that is by going out and playing. You can't do it in practice because of the tempo."

But what happens if someone gets hurt?

"It's football," added Vrabel. "It can happen in practice. We're programmed to play, and we treat [this weekend] like that. If you go out with that attitude, then you will get hurt. With the nature that this game is played at, if you don't go out there with that attitude of playing 100 percent, you'll get hurt. When you're in there, you play, play hard and do the best you can."

Brady, who took a teeth-shattering hit in the fourth quarter last Sunday in Jacksonville, is well aware of the situation this weekend. He plans to play the entire game against Tennessee.

"That type of thing never enters my mind," Brady said of not playing. "The best part of the week for me is Sunday. I'm not ready to give that up . . . To think of taking a day off, I'm just not up for any of that."

This is what Belichick said prior to the season finale against Miami last season when asked about substitutions in order to rest the bruised and banged up players prior to the postseason.

"We're going to approach this as a normal week," the coach said. "Our preparation will be as it normally is."

This is what he said in his opening statement yesterday: "We're going to approach this game just like we do every other game. We're going to prepare for it; prepare to win."

In the season finale in 2005, Brady played one quarter and was replaced by backup Matt Cassel, who said yesterday he'll prepare for Sunday's game the same way he always does, even though there's a good chance he'll play.

Last season, Tedy Bruschi (shoulder) was listed as questionable while Corey Dillon (calf), Daniel Graham (shoulder) and Jarvis Green (shoulder) were listed as probable.

"If everybody is healthy and ready to play, then we'll play the players that we think give our team the best chance to win," said Belichick prior to that game. "If everybody is healthy, then there are going to be some healthy players that will be inactive."

All those players were inactive against the Dolphins. Other than Bruschi, all played in the postseason opener against Jacksonville. Bruschi returned for the second-round game, a loss to Denver.

"We're trying to prepare for Tennessee," said Brady. "We're not preparing for five teams that we could face. We're just preparing for one. I think that's the best way to handle it."

jmcdonal@projo.com / (401) 277-7340