Each week we've thrown one team under the bus after it demonstrated it was already out of Super Bowl contention. For the end of the season and through the playoffs we'll accelerate the pace until every team has been eliminated -- except the one holding the Lombardi Trophy.It's hard to believe a coach of a 14-2 team could get fired, but then again it's hard to believe what happened in San Diego on Sunday. The Chargers were a better team than the Patriots this season and outplayed them for most of the game on Sunday. And yet the Chargers' season is over.
My colleague MJD laid out the case for Schottenheimer, and it's a good case: The Chargers were really, really good this season. Teams with rookie left tackles protecting inexperienced quarterbacks aren't supposed to be that good on offense, and teams that lose their best defensive player for four games aren't supposed to be that good on defense. And the Chargers were.
But these Chargers had a chance to be more than just good. They had a chance to be great. Instead, they walked off the field for the last time wondering what might have been if they had kicked instead of going for it on fourth-and-11, what might have been if they hadn't thrown away two timeouts, what might have been if they had given LaDainian Tomlinson the ball more than eight times in the second half. When a team that could be great ends up just good, it's hard not to blame the coach.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-16-2007 @ 7:30PM
Nelson M. said...
Marty was mentally beaten before his Chargers took the field. He is a losing coach, with a loser's mentality. I am not surprised the Patriots beat the Chargers, They have strong leadership, something that is sorely missing on the San Diego sideline.I did not know the manner in which New England would win the game, I just knew that Schottenheimer's team would find someway to lose! Sure enough- they did!
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1-16-2007 @ 8:56PM
Ted Urquhart said...
Forget the 4th and 11. Based on the final field goal attempt, the kick was probably out of his range.
Marty didn't the guy drop the punt, and then fail to fall on the football. Marty didn't make McCree fumble the interception that would have likely sealed the game.
He coached a good game. They should have won easily.
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1-16-2007 @ 11:42PM
Charger fan said...
I agree. Schottenheimer took the Chargers to 14-2. He adapted his method of coaching to meet the skills of his players- even when it wasn't the way he'd always coached before. He even got votes for coach of the year.
Whether nerves got them or over-confidence- the Chargers beat themselves on Sunday. LT couldn't carry the team. Rivers wasn't bad. Ten mistakes. Maybe two were Marty's.
I think Marty should come back. Why mess with a winning combination. Lock Marty and AJ Smith in a room and make them work it out.
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1-16-2007 @ 11:19PM
Rob said...
Don't blame Marty for the loss - there's no way Kaeding would've made that FG in the first quarter, and the fact the announcers didn't even reference it again until after the game demonstrates it was not that "controversial" of a decision.
Fact is, the Chargers players deserve a lot of blame for losing that game (you'll never convince me the Pats won that game - the Chargers lost it).
But the MOST BLAME must go to the "brilliant" Cam Cameron, who refused to give the ball to LT in the second half, and guaranteed a Pats victory by calling back to back pass plays when the Chargers had the ball with a 2nd and 4 with the game tied at 21. Marty doesn't call the plays, but I wish he would've went "Martyball" right there, cuz the Pats could not stop LT (or Turner), yet the Chargers instead chose to throw it to their stone-handed WRs.
What.A.Joke.
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1-17-2007 @ 3:50PM
SF said...
The Chargers weren't as mentally tough as they needed to be to win. Therefore, yes, the Chargers lost and the Pats win. The most outrageous part of this story is the whining and complaining the Chargers are doing. It's obvious why the Pats celebrated for what, 15 seconds... because they were pissed about being subjected to the verbal crap the Chargers were spewing. Go on and cry some more LaDanian. BABY
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1-18-2007 @ 8:18PM
viannetti said...
The Chargers have a very good team and some of the most talented players in the league. The 3 reason they lost are 1. The patriots play as a team not individual stars. 2. Tom Brady 3. Belacheck. It is that simple.
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