Sports

Patriots advance to AFC Championship game with win over Chargers

By Austin Bumpus and David Souza
By Austin Bumpus and David Souza

The Patriots advanced to their eighth straight AFC Championship game as they rolled to a big win over the Chargers in the divisional round.

Sony Michel paced the Patriots offense in the first half, racking up more than 100 yards and three touchdowns through the first two quarters to get the Patriots off to a hot start.

The Patriots went into the half with a 35-7 lead, and held on to win 41-28.

>>RELATED: Moment of silence at Gillette Stadium for daughter of Chargers' Brandon Mebane

They advance to play the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl in Atlanta.

It is the 13th conference championship game appearance by the Patriots during the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.

"It's going to be a good game," Brady said of the rematch with the Chiefs. "They're a good team. We played them earlier this year. I know everybody thinks we suck and, you know, we can't win any games, so we'll see. It'll be fun."

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers finished 25 of 51 for 331 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He is 0-5 in games played in Foxborough, including 0-3 in the postseason.

Brady finished 34 of 44 for 343 yards and a touchdown. He improves to 8-0 as a starter against Rivers, who drops to 1-8 against New England all-time.

James White tied Darren Sproles' NFL postseason record with 15 catches, totaling 97 yards. Julian Edelman had nine catches for 151 yards.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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4:34 p.m.: The Chargers score on an Antonio Gates touchdown catch, but the two-point conversion attempt failed to make it a 41-28 Patriots lead with :59 to go.

4:09 p.m.: The Chargers cut the lead to 19 as they make it a 41-22 game with a touchdown pass and two-point conversion.

3:30 p.m.: A 1-yard touchdown run from Melvin Gordon gets the Chargers back on the board, making it a 38-14 game in the third quarter.

3:09 p.m.: Stephen Gostkowski makes it a 38-7 Patriots lead in the second half after the team went for it on 4th and 2 inside the Chargers' 20-yard line.

2:43 p.m.: The Patriots lead the Chargers 35-7 at the half.

2:33 p.m.: The Patriots pour it on in the first half as Sony Michel runs it in for the third time today to make it a 35-7 lead with 1:43 left in the second quarter.

2:25 p.m.: The Chargers muff a punt deep in their own territory, with the Patriots recovering at the Chargers' 35-yard line.

2:11 p.m.: Rex Burkhead finds the end zone with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it a 28-7 Patriots lead in the second quarter.

1:55 p.m: Tom Brady hits Phillip Dorsett with a 15-yard touchdown pass to go up 21-7 on the Chargers in the second quarter.

1:45 p.m: Patriots lead Chargers 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.

1:40 p.m: Sony Michel rumbles 14 yards for the score. The point after is good and the Patriots retake the lead, 14-7.

1:30 p.m: Keenan Allen hauls in a 43-yard touchdown and the kick after is good to tie things up at 7-7.

1:20 p.m: Sony Michel drives it in on a 1-yard touchdown. Extra point is good to make the score 7-0 Patriots.

12:55 p.m: Weather is as cold as expected at Gillette Stadium just before kickoff.

12:30 p.m: Tom Brady runs down the home sideline before warm-ups.

12:00 p.m: The Patriots and Chargers released their lists of inactives. Both teams have seven players out, with the most notable one for New England being Deatrich Wise, who was questionable to play during the week.

8:00 a.m: Tom Brady arrived at Gillette five hours before New England's Divisional Round matchup with the LA Chargers.

Cox Media Group

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