Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

Welcome to our live blog of the big AFC Championship showdown between the Patriots and Chargers. We did this last year when these two squads met in the playoffs (hence the “Part Deux” in the title), as well as the Pats-Colts game the following week. As always, you're more than welcome to post your thoughts. Hopefully, we can get a good dialogue going. Enjoy the game!

3:11 Brady throws his second incompletion of the game, matching his total for the entire Jaguars game last week. I think we already have our answer as to how the wind will affect the Patriots offense.

3:33 1st big break of the game…Brady throws a pick in New England territory. The announcers just informed us it’s the first time he’s thrown a first quarter interception in post-season play. Not sure what that tells us, except that Tom is real good. Not that we didn’t already know that.

3:38 After a 15-yard facemask penalty, the Pats defense holds SD to a field goal…3-0 Chargers. Time to get the offense in gear!

3:49 Ask, and ye shall receive. Brady directs the Flying Elvis’ downfield on a 10-play scoring drive, capped off by a Laurence Maroney plunge to paydirt….7-3 Patriots.

3:54 Not surprisingly, LaDainian Tomlinson is basically useless to the Chargers today, and I'm not sure we'll see him any more. I don't care how much he wants to give it a go, running backs and bad knees don't go well together. He couldn't realistically be expected to be himself. Hey, if he weren't hurt badly, he's have gone back into last week's game.

4:02 Nice open field tackle by Ellis Hobbs on Chris Chambers stops the Chargers on 3rd down. Nate Kaeding connects on the field goal, making it 7-6 Patriots.

The defense’s “bend but don’t break” philosophy is on full display right now. If the offense puts another touchdown or two on the board, that should take any suspense out of the equation.

4:09 Phenomenal play by Kelly Washington to keep a punt out of the end zone and pin San Diego inside the 5-yard line. The celebratory dance...not so good! Save it for The Ellen Show!

4:12 There’s something you don’t see very often; an Asante Samuel interception in the playoffs. I realize no athlete is worth the kind of money they make, but this guy will be worth every penny he makes in free agency. I hope it’s the Pats who end up paying him, but you just know some other team is going to swoop in and make a “Godfather” offer he can’t refuse.

4:14 Just like that, Brady to Jabar Gaffney makes it 14-6 Patriots. You can trace this entire sequence back to the Kelly Washington play on punt coverage. Bad Field position, leads to turnover, leads to touchdown…a classic formula for playoff success.

4:18 Ellis Hobbs’s turn to pick Philip Rivers. A touchdown here and this one’s over. If that sounds cocky to you Patriots haters out there, well sorry, but I know it and you know it, too…even if you don’t want to admit it yet.

4:33 Patriots “D” holds again…Chargers forced into another FG…Bill Belichick burns a timeout, hoping to “ice” the kicker. It’s one of the few times where I think this strategy is actually beneficial. It’s so cold, the kicker could literally get iced.

Of course, it doesn’t work. Kaeding boots another one through…14-9 Patriots…no blowout…YET! I have to give San Diego credit. They're a much tougher team (physically and mentally) than I thought they were. They're still going to lose, perhaps by a large margin, too. But the game is by no means going to be a blowout, regardless what the final score indicates.

And dare I say, the Chargers have surpassed the Colts as New England's biggest AFC competition for the foreseeable future. Someday, this team WILL win a Super Bowl.

See you in the second half!

4:53 Randy Moss, who doesn't have a reception yet, drops a pass. Are we sure it was the woman who suffered the broken finger during the alleged assualt/horseplay and not the Patriots wide receiver?

4:56 Another pick thrown by Brady. The Chargers defenise is getting pressure on the Pats QB and shutting down the running game, too. Who'd have thought these two high-powered offenses would be locked in a defensive struggle?

4:58 The best receiver on the field today is Chris Chambers.

5:00 What happened to the fans? Are they frozen solid? I don't know if it's the CBS microphones not picking up the audio or what, but the noise level at Gillette Stadium is more in the Sunday church mass level than conference championship level.

5:03 Again, the Pats defense holds. Junior Seau makes a great play on third and short to stop Michael Turner for a loss. Keading comes on again to make it 14-12 Patriots.

5:05 I just had a terrible thought; remember the year the Giants went into San Francisco and upset the potent 49ers? 5 Matt Bahr field goals was all the G-Men could muster offensively, but it was all they'd need in the 15-14 victory. I Don't think this one will end that way, but I do have to point out that New England has 14-points and Kaeding has 4-FG's so far.

This worked the last time I wrote this, so let's try it again; time to get the offense in gear!

5:12 Randy Moss is on the board!

5:15 Maroney time!

5:17 WOW! A 3rd interception tossed by Brady...very, very uncharacteristic. This one could be a real killer. In the end zone, when a touchdown likely would have sealed the deal.

Has Tom dumped Giselle for Jessica Simpson?

On a more serious note; far be it for me to question the Patriots coaching staff, but on a drive where Maroney ran the ball so well, to go from the shotgun on 3rd and goal from the 2, with Maroney not even on the field, the way he's been running the ball...well, let's just say I question the play calling.

5:28 I would say getting the ball in Laurence Maroney's hands as much as possible at this point is a pretty wise strategy. Isn't it funny how the much-maligned defense and running game are basically carrying the team?

5:32 Well, that should pretty much do it. Brady to Welker...21-12 Patriots...not enough time for Kaeding to kick 3-more FG's...and you know damn well the only way the Chargers are getting a touchdown is on a Brady pick or if the defense gives one up during garbage time.

5:42 The difference in coaching rears its head; Norv Turner opts to punt from the Patriots 36-yard line with 9:21 remaining, down by two scores. You have to go for it there!

5:44 Ladies and Gentlemen...you're AFC Championship Game MVP; Laurence Maroney!

5:47 Great diving catch and roll for a first down by Kevin Faulk. I have to admit to not liking him early in his career, but the little man from LSU has made himself a key cog in this offense.

5:51 Another big gain on a reception by Faulk leads to another Patriots first down. How's that decision to punt looking right now, Norv?

5:54 As Maroney converts another 3rd and short, I'm still waiting for the Pats lack of a running game to lead to a loss. Between that and Norv still waiting to get the ball back, I'm in full "I told you so" mode right now!!!

5:58 Maroney pounds through for another first down, and that'll do it. Time to take the knee and break out Bob Kraft for a post-game acceptance speech.

Contrats to the New England Patriots...2007 AFC Champions...and still undefeeated!