FOXBORO, Mass.— Early last week, Philip Rivers had his doubts as to whether his bad right knee would allow him to play in Sunday’s AFC championship game against New England.

Friday, even as the team was listing him as "questionable" on the weekly injury report, Rivers said he had no doubts.

"As I kept rehabbing, kept going, I felt Friday I had a good chance," he said. "With my limited practice time, I guess that was the reason for [listing him as] 'doubtful.' But I certainly felt I had a good chance."

The injury — said to be a tear in his ACL that Rivers said last night "probably" will require surgery in the offseason — affected his ability to move when forced out of the pocket. On one third-and-goal play from the 8 early in the game, Rivers' pass to Chris Chambers in the end zone was incomplete, and on the play Rivers seemed to have an open path to the end zone if he’d been able to run.

"I never look too pretty running out of the pocket anyway," he said. "And this doesn't make it much better. It wasn't so much moving, but slowing down. But if I have to leave the pocket too much anyway, that’s not a good sign."

Effective or not — and Rivers finished the day 19 of 37 for 211 yards and two interceptions — he showed his teammates something just by being there.

"I think people should really back off Philip Rivers, because I think that's the gutsiest performance I've ever been around," guard Mike Goff said. "Just the fact that he went out there and did what he was able to do … yeah, people might yell at him for throwing a couple of interceptions. But, I mean, the man's out there on two bad wheels and he's out there playing his heart out.

"Just the fact that he was out there because he wanted to win should speak volumes for him not only as a player but as a leader and as a person."

Misdirection play

The Chargers public relations staff may have done LaDainian Tomlinson a disservice Sunday. Tomlinson left the game after three plays, when a hit directly on his injured left knee hampered him for the rest of the game. But the Chargers announced in the press box late in the first half that Tomlinson had "a sore knee" and "can return."

Presumably, that information was relayed coast to coast by CBS, which is what made it even more poignant when the cameras showed Tomlinson, bundled up but still wearing his helmet and sitting forlornly on the sidelines.

Said Tomlinson: "It was obvious that I couldn’t play. If I could have played, I would have been in there."

After the game, Tomlinson verified that the injury was a sprained medial collateral ligament.

"It’s not torn or anything," he said. "Hopefully with rest I'll be fine."

A chilly welcome

Defensive end Igor Olshansky heard it from the crowd Sunday, the reaction to his overexuberant comments last week that "[the] way that we're playing now, nothing can stop us. The way that we overcome adversity and everything else. I guarantee you that [Bill] Belichick and everybody else over there are scratching their heads saying, 'Man, we better get ready.' "

Olshansky's reaction:

"Why should I have any regrets? I didn't say anything disrespectful. I mean, two great football teams played today. We laid everything on the line, and I'm sure the fans enjoyed the competition. It was a great effort on both sides."