Tom Brady expects to play in Thursday’s preseason finale

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady expects to play in New England’s annual preseason finale with the New York Giants on Thursday night.

“That’s the plan,” Brady told reporters when asked if he was going to play Thursday night.

Many pundits thought Brady might not play after getting roughed up in a 40-9 loss to the Detroit Lions Thursday night. Brady’s numbers weren’t bad – he was 16-of-24 for 185 yards, but he threw an interception and was hit by the Detroit Lions defensive line several times throughout the night, including two sacks. The offense moved the ball fairly well through the air, but three fumbles to go along with that interception did the Patriots in.

In 2012, Brady had another excellent season. He was 401-of-637 for 4,827 yards,  34 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He led the Patriots to a 12-4 record. The Patriots again won the AFC East and defeated the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs before falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.

The Patriots will host the Giants Thursday at 7:30 pm EST. They’ll kick off the regular season on September 8 when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills.