* In 2004, with a bye in hand but no chance at home-field advantage, the Patriots played their starters into the fourth quarter and won at home against San Francisco. They wound up winning the Super Bowl.

* In 2005, without a bye and nothing to play for, the Patriots rested their starters after the first quarter and lost by two points at home to Miami. Matt Cassell overthrew Bam Childress on the game's final play - a two-point conversion attempt. The Patriots wound up losing in the Divisional Round to Denver.

* In 2006, without a bye and nothing to play for, the Patriots played their starters until the start of the fourth quarter, and beat a red-hot Tennessee team, 40-23.

This year, they should have home field advantage locked up going into their Week 17 game. If they are still undefeated, that would provide extra motivation to keep the starters in for roughly three quarters. And as we've seen above, the Patriots don't need extra motivation to play their starters. They want to stay sharp.

The only time they rested people was when they didn't have a bye week, and the Patriots went on to have their ugliest playoff loss of the Belichick era. In 2004, they had a bye in hand, and still played their starters long enough to secure the win.

There is virtually no chance the Patriots will rest players before Week 17, and I would guess that they'll play their starters for as long as it takes to win against the Giants - especially if history is on the line. As most fantasy owners know, three quarters of Brady and Moss is better than a full game of almost anyone else.