FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady recognizes that there are some who believe the Patriots are nearing the end of their run of unprecedented playoff success.

New England took a step Sunday toward silencing those voices for a little longer.

Sony Michel ran for 129 yards and three touchdowns, and the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers 41-28 in the divisional playoffs to earn their eighth straight trip to the AFC championship game.

New England (12-5) will play at Kansas City next week. The Patriots beat the Chiefs 43-40 in Foxborough in Week 6. They finished 9-0 at home this season.

It’s 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.”

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The Chargers (13-5) haven’t reached the AFC title game since the 2007 season.

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 was 34 of 44 for 343 yards and a touchdown. He improved to 8-0 as a starter against Rivers, who dropped to 1-8 against New England all-time.

For Rivers, seeing Brady again pick apart the Chargers defense was another reminder that he was competing against one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

“He’s up there, if not the all-time great, then one of,” Rivers said. “That argument can go on forever. … Was he rolling at the highest level today? I think we can all agree on that.”

James White tied Darren Sproles’ NFL postseason record with 15 catches, totaling 97 yards.

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New England scored on its first four possessions and built a 35-7 halftime lead.

Julian Edelman had nine catches for 151 yards. He said the run game opened up the field for the rest of the offense.

“It was awesome to get Sony out there trucking,” said Edelman. “Rex (Burkhead) was out there, he scored. And ‘Sweet Feet’ (James White) being ‘Sweet Feet’. Sony’s over there being a little horse. It was awesome.”

The Chargers scored three touchdowns in the second half, but it was much too late.

Los Angeles lost for just the second time on the road (8-2) and first time outside Los Angeles this season. In their past four trips to the playoffs, the Chargers have lost in the divisional round.

“We got our butts kicked,” Los Angeles Coach Anthony Lynn said.

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Rivers seemed poised to keep his team in the game, connecting with Keenan Allen for a 43-yard score on Los Angeles’ first possession. It was the longest touchdown of Allen’s career.

It turned out to be just a blip. The Chargers punted the four other times they had the ball in the first half.

The Patriots were efficient throughout the opening 30 minutes, going 5 for 5 in the red zone, 5 of 6 on third down and committing only one penalty.

New England didn’t go three-and-out until its fifth possession, when it punted with 3:32 left in the second quarter.

But Ryan Allen’s 48-yard punt was fumbled by Desmond King, sending the ball rolling toward the sideline. The referees ruled the ball went out of bounds before New England’s Albert McClellan recovered it, but the play was reversed after a challenge by Belichick.

The turnover proved costly, with the Patriots scoring just four plays later when Michel crossed the goal line from 5 yards for his third touchdown of the half.

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Asked if this victory proved at least some of the Patriots’ doubters wrong, Brady paused and smiled.

“I just like winning,” he said. “I just like winning.”

New England established the run early, creating big holes in a defense that ended the regular season ranked ninth in the NFL, allowing just 106 rushing yards per game. Michel carried 16 times for 105 yards in the first half.

He scored from the 1 on the opening possession, capping a 14-play, 83-yard drive in which he rushed five times for 15 yards and had a 9-yard reception.

The Patriots added scoring drives of 67, 58, 87 and 35 yards.

MILESTONES

Michel became just the second Patriots rookie to have a rushing touchdown in the postseason. He joined fellow Georgia alum Robert Edwards, who ran for a touchdown in New England’s 1998 wild-card loss to Jacksonville.

Michel also became the first New England player with two rushing TDs in the first quarter of a playoff game since LeGarrette Blount did it in the 2013 divisional-round win against Indianapolis.

Brady extended his postseason record with his 15th 300-yard passing game. Next is Peyton Manning with nine.


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