BY JIM DONALDSON
Journal Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO -- When you've been coaching in the NFL as long as Norv Turner, you don't have to look at a whole lot of film to ascertain the Patriots' weaknesses.

"We faced a young quarterback," the Chargers coach said. "When you've got a young guy, you should be able to create some negative plays, and we were able to do that. They've also had some changes in the secondary, which obviously presented opportunities for big plays."

The Chargers didn't wait to take advantage of the New England secondary, as quarterback Philip Rivers went deep to Vincent Jackson for 48 yards on the first play of the game.

"We starting talking about it on, like, Thursday," said Jackson, who went on to gain a career-high 134 yards, on 5 catches. "So it wasn't a surprise to me. From what Norv said, it was either going to be the first or second play of the game, so I was ready to run it. I was excited to start off like that. It sent a message and set the tone."

Rivers, who completed 18 of 27 for 306 yards and three TDs, without an interception, was delighted to come out throwing.

"It certainly gave us a spark," he said. "It wasn't one of my better throws, but it was big. It got us going."

The turning point in the game came early in the second half, when, after the San Diego defense stonewalled the Patriots on four downs from the 1-yard line, Rivers led the Chargers 98 yards to a touchdown, and a 24-3 lead, in just five plays.

"That was an unbelievable goal-line stand," Rivers said. "Unbelievable. The swing of events there -- they have a chance to cut it to seven, to you're up 21, just like that."

"We couldn't get it in," Pats coach Bill Belichick said tersely, in his postgame press conference. "It certainly would have helped, to have made it a one-score game. But we weren't able to make the plays, and they made them. That's why they won. We need to work harder and do a better job all the way around than we did tonight. It's as simple as that."