Norv Turner took over as head coach of the Chargers in 2007. Rivers started the 2007 season with 190 passing yards and an interception in a 14–9 victory over the Chicago Bears. After a 1–3 start, the Chargers turned their season around, finishing 11–5 and winning the AFC West for the second straight year. On October 7, against the Denver Broncos, he recorded a career-high 151.4 passer rating from going 13 of 18 for 270 yards and two touchdowns in the 41–3 victory. The Chargers also won their first two playoff games since the 1994 season, beating the Tennessee Titans in the and the Indianapolis Colts in the before falling to the New England Patriots in the 21–12. In the 2007 AFC Championship Game, Rivers' was lauded by his teammates and the press for playing the entire game with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which later required surgery and was ranked among the "NFL Top 10 Gutsiest Performances". Chris Harry of the "Orlando Sentinel" said "I don't think anyone will ever accuse Philip Rivers of being soft." Kevin Acee of "The San Diego Union-Tribune" said, "To go out there and put his knee, and ultimately his career, on the line. It has to go down as one of the gutsiest performances."