San Diego – With less than three minutes remaining in Sunday’s playoff game, Qualcomm Stadium’s big screen showed a video clip of coach Marty Schottenheimer firing up his Chargers, telling them, among other things, “No one wins in our house.”
It was vintage Schottenheimer, intense and very real.
But it also was the beginning of another part of vintage Martyball. Tom Brady hit Reche Caldwell for 49 yards to the Chargers’ 17, setting up the New England Patriots’ winning field goal. The clip was the beginning of the end for the Chargers, who had the NFL’s best regular-season record (14-2), and quite possibly the end of Schottenheimer in San Diego.
After postseason misery that includes coaching stops with Cleveland and Kansas City, Schotten- heimer hit a personal playoff low Sunday. Nate Kaeding’s field-goal attempt of 54 yards fell short, and the Patriots advanced to the AFC championship game with a stunning 24-21 win that dropped Schottenheimer to 5-13 in postseason games as an NFL head coach.
The notion of Schottenheimer actually standing on a Super Bowl sideline seemed unlikely. But this was his best chance. The Chargers were the league’s best team entering the playoffs. With league MVP running back LaDainian Tomlinson, linebacker Shawne Merriman, defensive tackle Jamal Williams and tight end Antonio Gates, the Chargers have four of the best players at their positions in the NFL.
The Chargers clearly were the team to beat. Not only did they go 14-2, they were 8-0 at home. They had won 10 straight games.
The Chargers seemed set to win the Super Bowl for the first time.
But Marty got in the way. He always does in the postseason.
No longer is this a coincidence. There is a reason Schotten- heimer loses in the playoffs. He presses, he outthinks himself and he loses. Schottenheimer is a fine regular-season coach. But come January, he can’t handle it. From John Elway to Tom Brady, Schottenheimer gets his heart broken postseason after postseason.
And once again, it may cost him his job. As San Diego awakens this morning to another brilliant day in one of America’s most beautiful cities, it may see its football coach pay the price for blowing such a wonderful opportunity. And expect much of San Diego to agree with it, if it happens.
Schottenheimer and Chargers general manager A.J. Smith have a chilly relationship. It has long been expected that if Schottenheimer slipped up despite the terrific talent the Chargers have, he could be fired. Smith, considered one of the best personnel men in the NFL, is responsible for setting Schottenheimer’s plate.
Smith is not going anywhere.
After the game Sunday, Schottenheimer’s shelf life as Chargers coach was a hot topic. Schottenheimer said he expects to be back with the team.
“I hope he doesn’t go,” Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips said. “I’d play for Marty Schottenheimer the rest of my career. … Marty didn’t take one snap today. It’s not his fault.”
Yes, but there are issues that will be remembered forever.
There was a missed field goal in the first quarter. There was a silly coach’s challenge of a ruling late in the fourth quarter that had no chance of being reversed in the Chargers’ favor, but Schottenheimer did it anyway. The move cost the Chargers a timeout that would have been beneficial as they tried to get down the field in the final minute to give Kaeding a better chance of sending the game to overtime. There were two 15-yard personal foul penalties in the second half. There were four turnovers.
There were a lot of Schottenheimer-like playoff mistakes by the Chargers. But Schottenheimer is used to this type of disappointment. From experience, he chooses to think positively.
“We’re obviously very, very disappointed in the outcome,” Schottenheimer said, adding his team still had a great year.
It’s not the year that counts. It’s the playoffs. And 5-13 resonates more than 14-2.
Staff writer Bill Williamson can be reached at 303-954-1262 or bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
