and a rushing touchdown and caught three passes for 19 receiving yards in the Chargers' 17–6 Wild Card Round victory over the Titans. He scored his touchdown on fourth and goal with San Diego leading 10–6 in the final quarter, leaping over the pile and reaching across the goal line. It was the Chargers' first playoff win since the 1994 AFC Championship Game, and the first of Tomlinson's career. He said of the result, "It didn't come easy, but I tell you, I'm just happy to get that first one." The following week, Tomlinson carried seven times for 28 rushing yards and caught a 20-yard pass, before injuring his knee and leaving the game in the second quarter of the Chargers 28–24 Divisional Round win at the Indianapolis Colts. The injury proved to be a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain. Tomlinson attempted to play through his injury in the following week's AFC Championship, and had two carries for five rushing yards and a one-yard catch but re-injured the knee and sat out the rest of the game. The Chargers lost to the New England Patriots, 21–12. Tomlinson was criticized for sitting on the Chargers' bench with his helmet and a dark visor still over his head, as well as for failing to play through the injury, in contrast to Rivers, who played the whole game. Hall of Fame ex-NFL cornerback Deion Sanders, then working for the NFL Network, said, "Now what's the problem? You're a big-time player, and big-time players must play big-time games." Tomlinson called the comments ridiculous, saying, "He's never been a running back and had a sprained MCL." During the game, the Chargers notified the press box that Tomlinson was set to return, adding to the perception that his injury was not serious. Turner defended Tomlinson, saying, "I know some of it goes back on us in terms of how it was communicated during the game ... If that injury would have happened in Week 2, he probably would have missed six weeks." 2008 season Neal, who had missed time in 2007 with a broken fibula, was released by the Chargers during the offseason, leaving rookies Mike Tolbert and Jacob Hester to serve as Tomlinson's lead blockers. Tomlinson himself declared his knee to 100% recovered after offseason rehabilitation, but jammed his big toe during an opening day 26–24 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The new injury persisted