San Diego ? Tom Brady, as cool as ever, delivered every time the San Diego Chargers gave him another chance.

Already a three-time Super Bowl winner, his shot at a fourth is very much alive after the New England Patriots shocked league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers on Sunday, winning, 24-21, to advance to the AFC championship game.

Brady overcame three interceptions, his career playoff high, to lead the Patriots to 11 points in 3:26 late in the game. He and coach Bill Belichick now have a 12-1 postseason record together and need to win at Indianapolis on Sunday to make their fourth Super Bowl trip in six seasons.

Brady and linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who also helped the Patriots in their Super Bowl runs earlier this decade, walked off the field together.

“I said to Tedy, ‘Man, that was not easy.’ He says to me, ‘They never are, buddy. They never are,'” Brady said.

As tough a win as it was for New England, it was a gut-wrenching loss for San Diego and its coach, Marty Schottenheimer, whose job could be in jeopardy after his career postseason record tumbled to 5-13.

Tomlinson shattered several league records in helping the Chargers go an NFL-best 14-2, including 8-0 at home in the regular season.

Once it was over, Tomlinson, like Brady one of the most laid-back superstars in any sport, lost his cool. He went after an unidentified Patriots player and had to be restrained by a teammate and former Charger Reche Caldwell, who had a huge game for the Patriots.

New England quarterback Tom Brady looks for an opening against the San Diego Chargers. The Patriots won, 24-21, Sunday in San Diego.

Tomlinson yelled and pointed at the Patriots player, upset that some Patriots were dancing on the Chargers logo at midfield after they had silenced the record crowd of 68,810 at Qualcomm Stadium.

“I would never react in that way. I was very upset,” Tomlinson said. “When you go to the middle of our field and start doing the dance Shawne Merriman is known for, that is disrespectful. They showed no class and maybe that comes from the head coach.”

Merriman, nicknamed “Lights Out,” did a spasmodic dance to celebrate each of his NFL-high 17 sacks.

“We lost to a better team today,” Tomlinson said. “Hopefully the next opportunity we have we’ll learn something from this.”

Tomlinson ran for 123 yards and two scores, and caught two passes for 64 yards.

While the Chargers respected the mystique Brady and the Patriots had built with Super Bowl wins following the 2001, 2002 and 2004 seasons, they hoped to be the ones raising the Lombardi Trophy in Miami on Feb. 4.

San Diego had nine players voted to the Pro Bowl team and five to the All-Pro team. And it had been led by Tomlinson, who became the most prolific scorer in one season in NFL history with 31 touchdowns and 186 points while winning the rushing title with 1,815 yards.

But Brady is the one who’s been there before in January. And nearly always has won – it was Brady’s sixth career game-winning drive in the playoffs, and his 24th overall.

The winning points came on a 31-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 1:10 left.