Had San Diego kept Drew Brees instead of allowing him to sign with New Orleans, it’s possible the Chargers secondary would not have gotten carved up the way it did Sunday in London.

And once it did get shredded, it became the final straw in the team deciding to fire defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell and promote linebackers coach Ron Rivera to defensive coordinator.

The Chargers made the move Tuesday, after they had seen enough. They felt like they had no other choice in a season that has not worked out the way anyone thought.

San Diego has the 28th-ranked defense, giving up an average of 371.6 yards per game. It was 23rd in points allowed, giving up 24.9 points per game. And most damning, it was last against the pass, surrendering 265.1 yards per game, which was nothing uncommon in San Diego.

Over the past two seasons, the Chargers had the fifth-worst pass defense in the league. Now they are hoping for change and hoping Rivera is the coach who can bring it to them.

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