Secondary effort wasn't first rate

FOXBOROUGH -- Chargers wide receiver Keenan McCardell has run through opposing defensive backfields for 14 NFL seasons. Yesterday was his 187th career game, so he speaks with authority when it comes to secondary play.

This is what he saw from the Patriots' secondary, which was adapting to life without safety Rodney Harrison for the first time:

''The chemistry wasn't there as much as it's been with Rodney," he said. ''I think Rodney made a lot of calls to get everyone in the right situation, the right position to make plays. It's hard when you start a guy the first game, then he's not in. Then you start another guy at corner the next game, and then you start another guy the third game. It's hard to get a little chemistry back there, and you have to have that togetherness back there."

Chargers quarterback Drew Brees, who was 19 for 24 for 248 yards and two touchdowns (137.5 passer rating), also noticed a difference.

''They obviously missed Rodney Harrison," he said. ''Any time a leader like him goes down, it's hard to come back and be the same defense. I know Rodney and the type of player he is. It's tough to lose a guy like that."

Brees torched the Patriots' secondary for four passing plays of 20 yards or more, which is the distance New England coaches use as a barometer for big plays. There were eight passing plays that went between 10-19 yards each. And that doesn't include a 44-yard pass interference penalty on Eugene Wilson that led to a second-quarter touchdown.

As expected, second-year player Guss Scott started in Harrison's place, alongside Wilson at safety. Duane Starks and Asante Samuel started at corner, with opening day starter Tyrone Poole (ankle) and third corner Randall Gay (ankle) out because of injury.

The foursome played the majority of the game, but even after the loss the players weren't seeing things the same way.

''As far as confusion and communication, we were all where we were supposed to be," Wilson said.

Samuel, who noted the Chargers' success converting on third down (7 of 12), felt differently.

''Everybody wasn't on the same page, things like if he's supposed to be to the right helping me, I'm to the left; the communication wasn't good at all," he said. ''We didn't make any plays. Nothing."

McCardell said the Patriots mixed up their coverages, playing man-to-man with both cover-2 and cover-3 schemes. The general premise of the cover-2 is that there will most often be safety help in the deep halves of the field, and the cover-3 scheme offers help in the deep thirds of the field.

Whatever the Patriots played, Brees and Co. had answers. Of the 12 Chargers completions that went for 10 yards or more, five went to tight end Antonio Gates (6 catches, 108 yards). The longest was a 38-yard grab at the 1 -- with Scott in coverage -- leading to the score that broke a 17-17 tie early in the third quarter.

On the Chargers' next drive, Brees capped off an eight-play, 75-yard march with a 28-yard touchdown hookup to receiver Reche Caldwell on the right side of the end zone. Caldwell said he ran a post-corner route against Starks in man-to-man coverage.

Said Starks: ''[Brees] put the ball in the perfect spot. I was there, right underneath him, and he put it inside and over the top. I think Brees did a great job of putting the ball where it needed to be, regardless of where I had help or didn't have help. There's nothing you can do about that. When things are going bad, they just turn bad. That's what happened."

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked if it appeared that defensive backs were in position to make plays, and they simply didn't make them.

''It doesn't make a difference," he said. ''If [the Chargers] make the play, then the coverage isn't good enough."

Would Harrison's presence have made a difference?

''We've moved past the Rodney situation," Wilson said. ''He's not out there now and we're playing with the guys we've got. Of course, it felt different. You're used to having Rodney out there, but we have to get used to the guys we have out there now.

''I wouldn't say we did too many things that turned out too good for us [in the secondary]. We had some balls caught on us that were big balls, key plays. I had a pass interference call that got them in real good field position. I wouldn't say we had our best game."