page_title: 2007 New England Patriots season
section_title: AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
hierarchical_section_title: 2007 New England Patriots season / Postseason results / AFC Championship Game vs. San Diego Chargers
caption_attribution_description: English: The en:New England Patriots' offense on the field versus the en:San Diego Chargers in the 2007-08 AFC Championship.
context_page_description: The 2007 season was the New England Patriots' 39th season in the National Football League, the 48th overall and the 8th under head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots improved on their 12–4 record from 2006 and won the AFC East for the sixth time in seven years by winning all sixteen of their games. Starting quarterback Tom Brady won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award.
  They became only the eighth team in NFL history to finish a regular season undefeated, and first to do so since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, as well as only the fourth to finish undefeated and untied. The Patriots were also the first team with a perfect regular season since the NFL expanded its schedule to sixteen games in 1978. Thus, they broke the record for victories in a single regular season that had been shared by the 1984 San Francisco 49ers, the 1985 Chicago Bears, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, and the 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers, and later tied by the 2011 Green Bay Packers and 2015 Carolina Panthers, who each finished with a record of 15–1, and are one of the only teams before or since that had nearly went 16–0.
context_section_description: Despite 3 interceptions from Tom Brady, the Patriots still managed to defeat San Diego, holding them to four field goals while Laurence Maroney rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for the second game in a row. With this win, the Patriots became the first NFL team to start with an 18–0 record and advanced to their fourth Super Bowl appearance in seven years.
  With just over 5 minutes left in the first quarter, Chargers defensive back Quentin Jammer intercepted a pass from Brady on the Patriots 40-yard line, setting up a 26-yard field goal by Nate Kaeding. New England responded by driving 65 yards and scoring with a 1-yard Maroney touchdown run to take a 7–3 lead.
  Kaeding kicked a 23-yard field goal in the second quarter to cut the score to 7–6, but after a punt, Patriots defensive back Asante Samuel intercepted a pass from Philip Rivers and returned it 10 yards to the Chargers 24-yard line. One play later, Brady's 12-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney increased their lead to 14–6. Later on, a 26-yard run by Darren Sproles moved the ball to the New England 34-yard line. But once again, the Patriots defense kept San Diego out of the end zone, stopping them on 3rd and 1 and forcing them to settle for another Kaeding field goal, making the score 14–9 at halftime.
  On the opening drive of the second half, Brady threw his second interception of the game, this one to Drayton Florence at the New England 49-yard line. San Diego then moved the ball to the 4-yard line, but on 3rd and 1, linebacker Junior Seau tackled Michael Turner for a 2-yard loss and the Chargers had to settle for Kaeding's fourth field goal. New England responded with a drive to the San Diego 2-yard line, with Maroney gaining 39 yards on four running plays, but Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie ended the drive by intercepting Brady in the end zone.
  On their first drive of the fourth quarter, New England moved the ball 67 yards and scored with Brady's 6-yard touchdown pass to Wes Welker, making the score 21–12. Following a Chargers punt, the Patriots ended the game with a 15-play drive that took the final 9:13 off the game clock.  The Patriots’ overall record then improved to 18–0 en route to their appearance in Super Bowl 42 and becoming the 2007 AFC Champions.
  Scoring
  First quarter
  SD – Nate Kaeding 26 yard field goal, 2:55. Chargers 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 2:12.
  Second quarter
  NE – Laurence Maroney 1 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 13:48. Patriots 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 65 yards, 4:07.
  SD – Nate Kaeding 23 yard field goal, 9:14. Patriots 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:34.
  NE – Jabar Gaffney 12 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:51. Patriots 14–6. Drive: 2 plays, 24 yards, 0:45.
  SD – Nate Kaeding 40 yard field goal, 0:08. Patriots 14–9. Drive: 6 plays, 43 yards, 1:38.
  Third quarter
  SD – Nate Kaeding 24 yard field goal, 8:36. Patriots 14–12. Drive: 8 plays, 43 yards, 3:56.
  Fourth quarter
  NE – Wes Welker 6 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 12:15. Patriots 21–12. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:17.
caption: The Patriots’ offense on the field
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