FOXBORO - Tom Brady never complained, carrying his teammates week after week.

So when the cold and wind neutralized the NFL's most lethal weapon - rendering him ineffective in a big game for the first time since George W. Bush took office - they had his back.

"It was probably our turn to win a game," said linebacker Mike Vrabel of the 44-man effort in yesterday's AFC Championship victory over San Diego, 21-12, in spite of Brady's three-pick performance.

"It was Patriots of old, where you would just hang around and make the big plays and make the plays when it counted."

Every active Patriot in uniform had a hand in garnering victory No. 18 on the season to secure the accompanying trip to Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII on Feb. 3.

"We have a lot of faith in one another, a lot of trust, and definitely a lot of respect," said center Dan Koppen. "Hard work goes into it, and everybody played well enough tonight.

"You can't worry about what happens the play before, just keep moving on. Tom's been our guy all year. The other guys were able to step up. It was a complete team victory."

Forging to the front of the line of heroes were halfbacks Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk.

Whether it was Maroney barreling off tackle or Faulk making a show-stopping catch in the flat for a chain-moving third-down conversion, the backs were money in the second half.

San Diego couldn't answer either.

New England went bulky after Maroney picked up just 16 yards on only six first-half tries.

Suddenly, tight ends and fullbacks were in vogue. Maroney again transformed himself into a sledgehammer.

"The youngster has been great," said fullback Heath Evans of Maroney, who finished with 122 yards on 25 carries. "I say that word 'great' because he comes up with the big games at the right time. Tonight he ran hard, had great feel for the holes, and was patient in the hole taking runs the exact opposite of where they were supposed to go, just doing great, great things."

Faulk continues to amaze, his fumble woes a thing of the past.

Brady wasn't Brady. He missed open men. Not every ball split the numbers on the receivers' jerseys.

Faulk made a diving grab, caught another behind him and a third at the ankles, always keeping his balance and forging ahead.

"As an NFL player, it's hard to put into words how instinctive he is," said Evans. "The catches he made, the way he fields coverages and reads coverages, the kid's amazing.

"Amazing is the word that goes best with him. His hands never surprise me but in the big games, he's always there."

Maroney's critique of Faulk was a bit more succinct, but aptly telling.

"Dude's got big hands," he said.

Defensively, the Patriots did enough most of the time and ultimately cranked it up when they needed it most.

All year long, bend but don't disintegrate was fine.

Give up a score or three and it didn't matter. Your offense scored TDs by the bushel.

But when Brady threw his third pick of the afternoon to Antonio Cromartie in the end zone in the third quarter while nursing a 14-12 lead, it was stop the Chargers or else.

"Something happens like that you just want to make a stop," said safety Rodney Harrison. "I think something like that, a huge play like that, to go out there and play good defense, I think that always carries over in confidence, especially the way we've struggled in the red zone."

Playoff victories come by winning third downs and winning in the red zone.

San Diego was held to three field goals on three red-zone trips and clicked on 3 of 12 on third downs.

So Tom Brady is human after all. What does it matter? He and his teammates are truly Super.