Patriots running back Sammy Morris tries to shake the tackle of 49ers safety Michael Lewis in the second quarter in San Francisco on Sunday.

AP / Ben Margot

SAN JOSE, Calif. –– Though hey are more than 3,100 miles from their own field, the New England Patriots were able to treat Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers as a home game.

With a game in San Diego coming up this week, New England decided to stay in California this week, making use of facilities at San Jose State University to prepare for the Chargers, saving it the trouble of making cross-country flights on back-to-back weeks.

Though it’s early, thus far everyone seems happy with the arrangement.

“I think to play a game like [the one against the 49ers], such a physical game, a long, grinding game, and then having to fly back to the East Coast, try to get yourself reacclimated, get caught up on rest, then practice a few days and then fly back, I thought that was the dumbest thing we could possibly do,” Rodney Harrison said. “For us to play a game and then to come back here and be able to sleep in, get our rest, hydrate, and get the bumps and bruises taken care of, it’s nice to be on a regular schedule. I think it’s great for us. I’m 35 years old; I need to feel as good as possible.”

The team had only about a 45-minute bus ride back to its base after the game, and yesterday players could get right back to work. Normally after a long flight home, the players would have had the day off to rest.

“We really didn’t travel last night [so] we are doing the same thing that we would do on a Monday following a home game,” Bill Belichick said. “It will be like that for the entire week.”

Wes Welker was in favor of the trip as well.

“I kind of like it. It’s almost like a training-camp aspect, where everything’s about football,” he said. “All of the film is right downstairs, for me I don’t have to worry about traffic going home to Boston. It’s a nice little change of pace.”

New England players will have today off, as they always do on Tuesdays, and then the team will hold practice tomorrow, Thursday and Friday at San Jose State before flying to San Diego on Saturday.

Long pass a game-changer

Though only one of the three downfield pass attempts from Matt Cassel to Randy Moss turned out to be successful, it nonetheless helped the Patriots’ offense against San Francisco.

The dink-and-dunk style that used a high percentage of short- to midrange routes New England used against its last couple of opponents meant defenses could key on Welker and Kevin Faulk and clog those lanes, as opposed to being on alert for a deep ball.

“It was huge,” Sammy Morris said. “I think whether we hit that [66-yard touchdown] pass or not, obviously any defense has to respect the fact that Randy Moss is out there and he’s got blazing speed. But to actually hit it, to connect on the pass is even more in [the defense’s] psyche. You have to honor that.”

Committee of running backs

The Patriots had four running backs carry the ball against San Francisco, making for the ultimate back-by-committee situation. Morris indicated that it takes a certain type of player for the situation to work.

“I think to use that type of backfield effectively you have to have the right kind of guys to do it, in the sense of not selfish and put the team first and not focused on stats, and I think you have that here,” he said. “The biggest thing with the ‘leading role’ is for media guides and programs. You have to have the right character guys and the right mindset in that we’re all trying to make the most of the opportunity when we’re in the game.”

Morris had a team-high 16 carries for 63 yards, while Laurence Maroney had 10 carries, Faulk seven and LaMont Jordan five before he left the game with a leg injury.

The 144 rushing yards New England totaled was a season-high.

Belichick won’t dis Maroney

Speaking of Maroney, Belichick was asked if his team is getting “everything it should be getting” from the 2006 first-round draft pick at this point in his career.

“I think Laurence has done a good job for us. He’s a good back. He’s played well and I think he will continue to play well,” Belichick said.

After missing the Miami game with a shoulder injury, Maroney averaged just 2.6 yards on 10 carries against the Niners. For the season, he has 28 carries for 93 yards (3.0 yards per carry). … A story in yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle said New England had taken a page from the Dolphins’ “Wildcat” package with the direct snap to Faulk that resulted in a touchdown, but the Pats have run that play on several other occasions, including in Super Bowl XXXVIII, when the team pulled it off on a two-point conversion. … Asked about Jordan’s status, Belichick said he received treatment yesterday and the team wouldn’t know his status until tomorrow but added, “he looks like a pretty quick healer.”

smanza@projo.com