QB Tom Brady is not worried about being rusty Sunday, when the Pats will take on Kansas City.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

FOXBORO –– What Tom Brady did as the quarterback of the Patriots last season was simply spectacular.

The reigning most valuable player of the NFL’s record-setting season has been well-documented.

Among the many NFL records that he broke includes the most touchdowns thrown in a season (50) and the most games with three or more touchdown passes (12).

To think that Brady broke numerous NFL and franchise records when he entered the 2007 training camp with three starting wide receivers (Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donte Stallworth) who had never taken a snap for the Patriots makes all of those records even that more remarkable.

This season, Moss and Welker had a firm grasp on the playbook from day one. So does third receiver Jabar Gaffney.

That could translate into Brady being even more productive this season. That is, if he is healthy. He participated fully in practice yesterday, but he did not play in a single preseason game this year because of a right-foot injury.

He isn’t worried about being rusty.

“I am pretty confident that I have played a lot of football games and I think I know the situations and understand what it takes to move the team and get the ball in the end zone,” Brady said. “I don’t think there is a lot of confidence lacking from my standpoint and with the ability of what our team has. I think we just have to go prove it.”

The Patriots’ receivers aren’t worried, either.

Brady is an eight-year NFL veteran who has been to the Pro Bowl four times and owns three Super Bowl rings. He has also started an impressive 127 consecutive games which is the third-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.

So the Patriots’ receivers say that Brady doesn’t need to play a preseason game to be ready for the regular season, and that he doesn’t need to play a preseason game to get on the same page with the receivers.

“With the quarterbacks and the receivers, we’ve had time together in the past, during the preseason camp and we’ve all been out there working hard and we’re excited to put it out on there on the field,” tight end David Thomas said. “He’s a great player and he’s doing everything he can to be ready for this game. He’s excited just like all of us are.”

How does Brady look at practice?

“He looks like Tom,” Welker said with a smile. “He’s out there throwing the ball around and making sure that he’s preparing just like everybody else and getting ready to go.”

Welker added that there is a benefit playing in the preseason against another team, but Brady should be fine, he said.

“Anytime you can get out there and get more reps, it’s always a plus,” Welker said. “We have to make up for lost time but all of that will sort itself out against Kansas City.”

While it is hard to simulate game speed in practice, Welker said the Patriots try to do that on a daily basis and that should help Brady on Sunday.

“We run at full speed to make sure that we’re getting the right look by the scouting team,” Welker said. “We’re able to get something out of it.”

In their first year with the Patriots, Moss caught an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes and Welker set an NFL record by recording the most receptions by a player in his first season with a new team, totaling 112 catches.

With a year of experience in the Patriots’ offense, the potential is there for those numbers to increase, but defenses will surely treat them differently than they did last year.

“It’s been nice just being in an offense for a year,” Welker said. “The more you’re in it, the easier it becomes as far as learning the concepts and what we are trying to accomplish out there.”

Coach Bill Belichick is also expecting to see good things from Gaffney.

“I think he is appreciated around here by the coaching staff, the offensive coaches, the players and the quarterback,” Belichick said. “He is a very versatile player. He does a lot of different things for us. I don’t think there is any way for someone outside this organization to understand how versatile a player he is and how much he patches together, in one way or another, on different plays and formations.

“He is smart, versatile and a good receiver that has been effective in a lot of different situations — man, zone, red area, third down. He has a good skill set and is a very flexible player that helps our offense in many different ways –– some subtle and some not so subtle. He is one of the bonding agents that holds things together.”

Brady & Co. can’t wait to take the field Sunday against Kansas City. That’s when everyone will find out whether Brady has been affected by not playing in the preseason.

“I think it is exciting for all the players that this game is the one that starts the season,” Brady said. “All the preparation that we have had for many months is focused on this.”

roblee@projo.com