POOR MARTY:

Tense time for Schottenheimer in postseason (Bob Ryan, January 12, 2007, Boston Globe)

Schottenheimer: v. transitive. 1 to manage a football game in order not to lose, as opposed to managing a football game to win. e.g. He Schottenheimered them out of the playoffs. n. 2 the act of managing a football game not to lose, as opposed to managing a football game to win. e.g. They were one Schottenheimer away from the Super Bowl.

That's how some people see it, anyway. Holy Halas, is Marty Schottenheimer really such a horrible person?

The record says he is a good coach. With 200 regular-season victories, Schottenheimer is fifth on the all-time list. But the regular season is one thing, and the postseason is another, and when people think of Marty Schottenheimer, there is a significant, "Yeah, but" attached.

Consider the opening paragraph of his Wikipedia bio.

"He holds the dubious honor of being the NFL coach with the most wins who has never been to the Super Bowl."

Hey, Wikipedia isn't the gospel. But Wikipedia, the Everyman's online encyclopedia, reflects consensus thought.

Chargers' team trumps dynamic duo (Tony Massarotti, January 12, 2007, Boston Herald)

Let me get this off my chest: I think they're going to lose. And I think there is the very real possibility that they are going to lose big.

But before anyone interprets that as a slight against Bill Belichick, Tom Brady [stats] and the rest of the Patriots [team stats], let's try to prevent this from degenerating into a schoolyard squabble. Those with even a remote interest in competition of any kind could have nothing but the utmost respect for Belichick and Brady, as peerless a duo as there is in the entire NFL.cw0

Especially at this time of year, Belichick and Brady are the absolute best at what they do.

But this really isn't about two men anymore. [..]

Let's make something clear here: The Chargers have the better team. They have more talent on offense, more talent on defense and more talent on special teams. The only advantages they do not possess over the Patriots are at quarterback and coach. The Patriots can win this game just as they can win any game they play, but the simple truth is that they could play their best game and still lose.

That's because San Diego's best game would be better.

At this stage of the argument, Pats fans are all too eager to point out the past. The Pats were two-touchdown underdogs against the Rams, they will say, and they won that game. Anything can happen on any given Sunday, and the Pats have proven, time and time again, that they can overcome the most challenging obstacles.

Here's the problem: The past doesn't mean a damn thing. Belichick himself will tell you that. Week after week, game after game, the coach of the Patriots has made a point of stressing that no prior game has anything to do with the next one. Suggesting that the Patriots will win on Sunday because they beat the Rams in 2002 is nothing more than wishful thinking.

This is really a no-win situation for Coach Schottenheimer. The Chargers are obviously the better team, but there'd normally be no shame in losing to the best post-season coach and QB in NFL history. His past though makes this an abnormal situation.

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 12, 2007 8:25 AM