Providence Journal / John Freidah
Troy Brown strips Marlon McCree of the ball as McCree tries to return an interception in the fourth quarter.

At the San Diego Union Tribune, it's a litany of misery and woe:

Pats make patsies out of Chargers

SAN DIEGO – The Chargers gave Tom Brady one chance too many, and that's all the three-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback needed.

Brady and the New England Patriots shocked league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers on Sunday, winning 24-21 to move within one win of their fourth Super Bowl trip in six seasons.

Down and out:

In the end, after the hype and hoopla, after an entire city insisted this year was different, after the gurus installed them as Super Bowl favorites and the players accepted that responsibility and trust, the San Diego Chargers delivered another wrenching loss to their weary fans.

'A terrible way to go out'

Clearly, the better team lost. And, all things considered, it deserved to.

“We didn't score,” said tackle Shane Olivea. “We moved the ball. We had everything going for us. We just didn't do enough to put the ball in the end zone.”

McCree had game in his hands and then . . .

“I was trying to make a play,” (Charger Marlon McCree) said, “and anytime I get the ball I am going to try and score. I saw there was an (offensive) lineman in front of me, and I knew if I could make him miss I was off and running.

“Before I had a chance to do that, Troy Brown stripped it. He made a great play, and I was trying to make a big play. (In) hindsight I don't regret it because I would never try and just go down on the (ground). I want to score.”

Asked why he just didn't knock the ball down, since it was fourth down and an incomplete pass would have given the Chargers possession, McCree scoffed.

“Why would I knock the ball down?” he said. “He threw it right to me.”

Voice of the fans

MOVING RIGHT ALONG: Well, that's that! Now will the Chargers please move?

KEITH TAYLOR, Chula Vista

AP
Towering QB Tom Brady and New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick beam after their 24-21 playoff victory over San Diego yesterday.

24-21: I picked this score.

The family gathers at our house for every Patriots game. We watch it with an early ReplayTV, pausing to build up time, pausing to eat, for bathroom breaks, then whizzing through timeouts and commercials.

We pause just before kickoff to build up time and bring out the drinks and appetizers.

As we settled in, my brother called for game predictions.

"Fingers crossed," I said at first. Then, "Gostkowski wins it with a field goal, 24-21."

And that's how it turned out. How did I know? I don't know. Then I forgot about it.

With about 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter -- remember, we're delayed here -- my husband's cellphone rings. It's his brother, in town for a family funeral. "What a game!" I hear booming out of the phone.

I shout, "Don't tell us!"

Joe explains we're not in realtime, he'll call him later.

But it was a ray of hope.

Then Brady uncloaked. I was yelling, "You're Tom Brady, you can do it."
And he did.

And then I remembered: I had called that score. There are witnesses.

CBS announcers Phil Simms and Jim Nantz bordered on offensive through much of the game, sniffing at the Patriots and praising San Diego. We wanted them to eat crow. When they had to acknowledge the Patriots win, they were subdued.

Chargers fans can be forgiven for not seeing this coming. But CBS should know what we know about the Patriots: They find a way to win.

Peter King, SI: Patriot games Twenty reasons why New England beat a better team