FOXBORO — It seems like an annual event — the guessing game as to whether or not the starters will play in the last preseason game of the year. But on the heels of last Thursday’s 36-35 loss to the Rams, quarterback Tom Brady didn’t seem to think there was any doubt as to what was going to happen Thursday against the Giants.

“I think we’re all playing,” Brady told WEEI Monday morning when asked about the starters. “I don’t know how long we’re playing. [Belichick] told everybody yesterday, ‘Get ready to play.’”

When it comes to the quarterback, the last time Brady played in the preseason finale was 2003 (per Brian McIntyre of Mac’s Football Blog), when he went 8-for-10 for 63 yards and a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in a game that ended up as a 38-23 win for the Patriots.

In that game, it appeared that the goal was to get Brady and the starting offense off the field as soon as they scored a touchdown. And when Brady found Troy Brown with an eight-yard scoring pass on the first play of the second quarter, it was the end of the evening for Brady and the starters.

“Well, I think the way it worked out, it worked out pretty well. The plan going in was to get in there and try to score quick,” Brady said.

“I thought we were going to go until we scored,” Brady said when asked about his reaction after the offense scored. “So I kind of ran over and said that’s it.”

What would it take for the Patriots to run their starters out there for this year’s preseason finale? In the years since, the Patriots have pretty much treated the game as the exclusive domain of the younger players and guys who might be on the bubble. Meanwhile, the veterans have come out for pregame warmups in sneakers and spent much of the evenings on the sidelines chatting with their teammates.

If you are looking for historical precedent, on the surface, there don’t appear to be too many similarities between the 2003 and 2010 preseason. That year, the Patriots rolled to relatively easy preseason wins in their first three games. The New England defense didn’t allow a point in the first quarter of all three preseason games. And Brady was in the midst of a stellar preseason, eventually finishing that four-game stretch with exceptional numbers — 34-of-56, 381 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 116.7 quarterback rating.

This preseason, they Patriots have gone 2-1, with a pair of solid victories over the Saints and Falcons before following that up with an uneven performance against the Rams that ended in defeat. The New England offense and defense have been a bit of a mixed bag over the three preseason games, but Brady’s numbers — 33-for-42, 425 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions through three games — have been top notch (although those were inflated slightly because he stayed in the game after the Rams’ starting defense came out, giving him a chance to pick apart the St. Louis backup defense).

Looking back at the notes from that game, one thing stood out — New England tried some unique things that night against the Bears, including running a no-huddle the first two offensive series. On defense, the Patriots used a no-defensive lineman front, which has given Buffalo fits on several occasions (including in 2002 when it flummoxed former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe). If New England does end up using the starters for any stretch of time, chances are good that it’s because they want them to get some work on some scheme or package that still needs some fine-tuning in game action.

Of course, if he does send the starters out there to open the game on Thursday night, Belichick also could be sending a message to his team that he isn’t all that thrilled with their play. Such was the case in a 2004 preseason game against the Bengals. It wasn’t the preseason finale, but in the second half of a Week 2 game in Cincinnati — a game where the Patriots were losing 28-3 at halftime — Belichick sent the starting defense back into the game.

Whoever plays, Belichick reiterated Monday that when it comes to making the final decision on playing time in the preseason finale, players should treat this week like they would any other.

“I tell everybody to be ready to play every week — that’s what we do,” Belichick said. “Coaches control playing time, but players should be ready to play every week regardless of the score, situation, field conditions, or anything else. That’s their job. That’s their responsibility. That’s what it is every week. And that’s not going to change.”