Last modified: Sunday, January 14, 2007 12:10 AM EST Tedy Bruschi and the Patriot defense will have its hands full with LaDainian Tomlinson this afternoon. (Staff photo by KEITH NORDSTROM) Bruschi, Pats ready BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF SAN DIEGO - During the past week, Tedy Bruschi had his game face on. The veteran inside linebacker for the Patriots was an unusually rare sight in the team's locker room this week, preferring to bury his head in the game plan for today's AFC Divisional playoff game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium (1 p.m.; Ch. 4, 12) than to hang around and field repetitive questions from reporters. But as a native Californian, Bruschi made himself available to members of the San Diego media for a mid-week conference call, and he offered his perspective on this week's encounter to them. He didn't waste any time establishing what the No. 1 priority of the New England defense will be. "You have to find a way to bring LT (running back LaDainian Tomlinson) to the ground," Bruschi said. "What you see is defenders in good position but what LT does, is he puts them in bad positions on defense with his burst and his quickness. You talk about other running backs that have that burst and acceleration out of their cut but, when you talk about LT and his burst and his cut, they're just better than everyone else's burst and cut." Bruschi was still recuperating from a stroke when the Patriots and Chargers last met, a 41-17 trouncing of the Patriots at home, but he said he got a lasting impression of them from his vantage point. "They were able to do whatever they wanted, especially in the second half," he said. "That's a film we're studying to see where they had success against us and what we can stop this time around." Bruschi said it won't be easy. "It's going to be difficult and we have to play great to win," he said. "I think we have been putting together good football the past few weeks and we are excited for the challenge, but we realize that this is going to be a huge challenge for us." One of the big challenges will be getting to quarterback Philip Rivers through an offensive line that sacked him only 27 times in the regular season. "They are scrappy," Bruschi said. "They don't just stick on you, but they push the pile very well. They stay on their blocks and let you know after the play is over that they have made their block because sometimes they're still there on top of you. They have great pride in blocking for a player like LT." Rivers doesn't have any personal playoff experience, but Bruschi believes there are plenty of teammates who can clue him in about the difference in regular-season and playoff play. "It's good to have," he said of playoff experience, "and if you don't have it, it's good to have the guys who do have it so they can talk to you about it and express to you what it's going to be like and what to expect. "Of course it's his first experience in the postseason," Bruschi added, "but he has had some time now to get acclimated at playing NFL quarterback. He has a handful of veterans there that he can speak to and he can confide in, and they can relate to him what the experience is going to be like."