FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – At age 34 with a body that has endured the pounding of 12 NFL seasons, Willie McGinest is entitled to a play off once in a while.

It’s just that Patriots coach Bill Belichick doesn’t want to give him many.

McGinest may not rest much Sunday against Miami even though New England has clinched the AFC East title. His veteran presence would be more important if inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi, listed as questionable with a calf injury, doesn’t play.

Bruschi didn’t return after being hurt in the first quarter of Monday night’s 31-21 win over the New York Jets. McGinest is expected to make his 38th straight start Sunday.

Whether the opponent is in a passing or running situation, inside the New England 20-yard line or backed up near its end zone, Belichick finds it tough to take him out.

“He’s a role player. His role’s to play every snap,” Belichick said Wednesday. “He does so many things well in so many situations. He’s so dependable. You want him in there for everything.”

The fourth pick of the 1994 draft out of USC had 4 sacks as a rookie and one more in that season’s playoffs. He has 6 sacks this season and leads all active NFL linebackers with 78 sacks.

And he’s been healthy on a defense that hasn’t been. Bruschi missed the first six games after having a mild stroke in February, defensive end Richard Seymour was sidelined for four games and six defensive backs are on injured reserve.

Midway through his career – before he helped the Patriots win three Super Bowls in the last four seasons – McGinest was plagued by injuries but said he never despaired.

“I know that this is an incredibly physical sport and you’re going to go through a season or two where you’re banged up,” he said. “I’m hitting somebody every single play so nobody’s immune to the injury bug.”

McGinest has played with padding on his right hand after hurting it early this season. Belichick even asked him if he wanted to switch from left outside linebacker to the right side to protect the hand. But McGinest said Rosevelt Colvin is comfortable on the right and, besides, injuries can happen anywhere.

If the injury hampered McGinest, it hasn’t been obvious. He has three sacks in the last two games.

His next target will be Miami quarterback Gus Frerotte in Sunday’s regular-season finale.

“He’s still hard to block,” Dolphins coach Nick Saban said. “He does a great job of using his hands. He still plays with a lot of power. He still can rush and block people back to the quarterback. He’s very instinctive on the field – batting balls down and making a lot of plays. I think the guy is an astounding player and I think he’s had a really good year doing what they expect him to do.”

He actually may have done more than even Belichick anticipated.

“This was a player that we saw having a smaller role” this season Belichick said, but “if he’s one of your best players and he’s making plays and he’s consistently playing well it’s hard to want to take him out.

“He takes really good care of himself and he’s a real good athlete. You don’t find many guys that are his size that can move like he can move.”

McGinest also has impressed fans. On Wednesday, he was presented with the Patriots 12th Player Award for contributions on and off the field in voting done by fans at a regional supermarket chain.

And he’s won support among young teammates.

“Willie’s like a big brother to me,” said rookie Ellis Hobbs, a solid starting cornerback. “I came to him and I said I really wanted to be his understudy, learn the ins and outs of not just the game, but life outside the game, handling yourself off the field, handling your finances and then just handling yourself as a person and he’s doing a great job of teaching me.”

McGinest, an unselfish veteran respected by teammates, has been doing that for a while.

“You just try to go out and lead by example and play hard and do your job and inspire guys by that,” McGinest said. “I’m just happy to be still doing what I’m doing.”