Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers needed surgery to get his right knee through the AFC championship game, and now needs a more extensive operation to repair a torn ligament in the same knee. His rehab could last six months.

LaDainian Tomlinson has a sprained ligament in his left knee but won't need surgery.

However, the superstar running back took a hit to his image during Sunday's loss to the perfect New England Patriots, simply because of the way the truth sometimes takes a beating in the way NFL teams release news about injuries.

While confirming that he needs surgery on his torn right anterior cruciate ligament, Rivers revealed for the first time that he had arthroscopic surgery to clean out the joint a week earlier in order to play in the AFC championship game.

Rivers made it through Sunday's 21-12 loss to the Patriots in freezing Foxborough, Mass., despite the damage to his knee, which he sustained in an upset win over the Indianapolis Colts a week earlier.

Rivers, lauded by his teammates for his gutsy play, said he'd like to have surgery as soon as possible on the torn ACL. "I'll be ready by training camp," he said.

Pressed for more details on his earlier arthroscopic surgery, Rivers nodded toward the training room and said: "I mean, the guys, obviously, I know they don't talk, but the guys in there would be able to give you the details on that."

Actually, that's part of the problem. Trainer James Collins is not allowed to talk to the media and the team often limits the information it releases.

"It wasn't real extensive, but I mean, really that was the only way I would have had a chance to play by doing that on Monday," Rivers said. "I thought maybe I could come back in the Colts game but it was catching. That's what we did on Monday to give me the chance to play on Sunday."

Rivers missed most of practice last week and was listed as doubtful on Friday's injury report.

Tomlinson missed Wednesday's practice but worked out the rest of the week and wasn't mentioned on Friday's injury report. He hurt his left knee against the Colts, with the team saying then it was hyperextended. Tomlinson said after Sunday's game that he has a sprained medial collateral ligament.

Tomlinson said he re-injured the knee when he was hit on the first play from scrimmage against the Patriots. He carried only twice, both in the opening drive. He caught a short screen pass the following series before retiring to the sideline for good, with more than 9:45 left in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, it was announced in the press box that Tomlinson had a "sore knee" and that he "can return."

Tomlinson is one of the humblest players in all of pro sports. He was the NFL's MVP in 2006 and has won two straight league rushing titles. Yet his toughness was questioned by fans and TV commentators alike, including former star cornerback Deion Sanders of the NFL Network.

Sanders said he was under the impression that Tomlinson was close to 100 percent. "I have expectations, and when you don't meet my expectations, you open yourself for us to try to guess," Sanders said. "Now what's the problem? You're a big-time player. And big-time players must play big-time games."

Sanders also said he thought Tomlinson's injury would need to warrant a surgery "for him to get a pass on this one."

Tomlinson didn't appreciate hearing that.

"He's never been a running back and had a sprained MCL," Tomlinson said. "You tell me what running back has played with a sprained MCL and been effective. You might go out there and try to limp around and play, but it's not going to happen. I don't know how information gets passed on, but until you talk to the source of the problem, what's going on with me, I think it's ridiculous when people make comments like that."

PATRIOTS

BRADY PHOTOGRAPHED IN WALKING CAST

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was photographed yesterday with what appears to be walking cast on his right foot.

The Boston Herald and Boston Globe had the photos — credited to www.infphoto.com — on their Web sites. A video of Brady walking with a slight limp from an SUV to girlfriend Gisele Bundchen's apartment in New York is available on TMZ.com.

The Patriots beat San Diego, 21-12, on Sunday and play the New York Giants in the Super Bowl in two weeks.

"Ah, you know, there's always bumps and bruises. I'll be ready for the Super Bowl," Brady said yesterday during his weekly radio appearance on WEEI — before the photo and video emerged — when asked if his leg was injured. "I'm not worried about that. I'm not missing this one. I'd have to be on a stretcher to miss this one. There will be treatment this week. In games like this, you get a little nicked up. It's nothing serious."

Brady has started in 124 consecutive games, the third longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.

BILLS

HARGROVE SUSPENDED FOR ALL OF NEXT SEASON

Buffalo defensive end Anthony Hargrove was suspended without pay for all next season yesterday by the NFL after violating the league's substance abuse policy a third time.

The violation was Hargrove's second since August, when he was suspended without pay for the first four games of the regular season.

A third violation triggers an automatic one-year suspension, and Hargrove must apply to commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement.

The NFL did not disclose how Hargrove violated the policy. Violations can result from positive tests, failure to cooperate in the testing program or failing to comply with a treatment plan.

ON THE AIR

PACKERS-GIANTS DRAWS SOLID RATING FOR FOX

The New York Giants' 23-20 overtime victory over the Green Bay Packers got a 31.7 overnight rating on Fox, the highest for an NFL conference championship game since 1996.

The Giants' win, which set up a Super Bowl matchup with the New England Patriots, got a 46 share, Fox said yesterday. The rating was up 21 percent from the 26.2/46 for the Chicago Bears' 39-14 win over the New Orleans Saints in last year's NFC championship, which was in the early time slot.

Sunday's Giants game received the highest rating for any TV broadcast since the Indianapolis Colts' 29-17 win over the Bears in last year's Super Bowl.

New England's 21-12 victory over the San Diego Chargers in the AFC championship received a 27.4/48, down 2 percent from the 28.1/40 for Patriots' 38-34 loss to Indianapolis in the late time slot last year.

The rating is the percentage of television households in the nation viewing a telecast, and the share is the percentage among those homes with televisions in use at the time.