| Game information |
| Date: Sun. Jan. 20, 2008 | Time: 3 p.m. EST | TV: CBS |
| Venue: Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass) |
| Recap |
| Despite a shaky Tom Brady, the New England Patriots were still too much for the banged-up San Diego Chargers in the AFC Championship Game Sunday, pulling out a 21-12 victory that sent them back to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in seven seasons.
Brady made several stunningly poor throws that fluttered in the wind, Randy Moss was a non-factor for the second straight game and the highest-scoring team in NFL history sputtered all afternoon. Instead, the Patriots (18-0) relied on Laurence Maroney's spins, cuts and helmet-rattling runs. More... |
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CBSSports.com Exclusive: The Patriots improve to 18-0 on the season beating the Chargers 21-12 to win the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Jim Nantz and Phil Simms recap all the action from Gillette Stadium.
 Play |
| Chargers' offense vs. Patriots' defense |
P. Rivers | Chargers: Rivers passed for 211 yards, but threw two interceptions with no touchdowns.
Patriots: Bruschi and the Patriots' defense held Michael Turner, who got the bulk of the carries in place of LaDainian Tomlinson, to 65 rushing yards. | 
T. Bruschi |
| Patriots' offense vs. Chargers' defense |
L. Maroney | Patriots: The Patriots relied on Laurence Maroney, who rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Chargers: Cromartie led the team with seven tackles and also made a crucial interception. | 
A. Cromartie |
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| Photo Gallery |
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QB Tom Brady and the Patriots are headed to the Super Bowl, despite throwing three interceptions. (Getty Images)
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Expert Picks (against the spread)
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| Expert | Pick | Reason |
 |  | Patriots QB Tom Brady should have success against a Chargers defense that gave up 402 passing yards and three touchdowns. |
 |  | The Chargers' defense will keep them in the game and it's too obvious to root for the Patriots. |
 | | The injuries to Rivers and Tomlinson bother me. But so does this: New England doesn't lose at home in the playoffs. |
 | | San Diego's only hope is to disrupt Brady with pressure and force some turnovers, which is hard to do. |
 | | As much as I believe in the Chargers' defense, I don't think the Chargers' offense can keep up. |
| Complete Expert Picks |
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San Diego Chargers
New England Patriots