Welcome back to the playoffs, Marty Schottenheimer. Maybe they will be kinder to you this time around.

In 13 seasons as coach of the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs in 1985-'97, Schottenheimer's teams made the playoffs 11 times. It is an admirable record, unmatched by any other coach in this year's playoffs.

Yet Schottenheimer's postseason record of 5-11 follows him around so closely you would think he never coached a game after Christmas. In seven of those 11 playoffs, he was one and done.

Will this year's San Diego Chargers change his luck? Nobody expected them to bounce from 4-12 to 12-4, so why stop now? The eight-game leap ties the second-biggest turnaround in NFL history, but history has a way of haunting Schottenheimer this time of year.

"My approach to it is that you can't hide from it. It is what it is," Schottenheimer said. "We have not been nearly as effective in the playoffs as I would like to have been. But again, there are no redo's. We lost some tough ones, some close ones."

In his final season in Kansas City, two years with ESPN, one season with the Washington Redskins and two with the Chargers, Schottenheimer not only missed the playoffs, he missed a winning season. But this year proves he didn't forget how to coach.

"I take a lot of pride in the fact that, for the most part, we've been very consistent in what we've done, and it's been reasonably solid," Schottenheimer said. "I certainly would like to think this football team this year gives us a chance to move into it. What I fully expect is that it will come down to two or three plays somewhere in the course of the game, made or unmade."

If there is any justice, quarterback Drew Brees will guide a 98-yard drive the way John Elway did against Schottenheimer's Browns in the 1986 AFC championship game. If there is any justice, LaDainian Tomlinson will not fumble on his way to the end zone as Earnest Byner did in Denver in the 1987 AFC title game.

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Schottenheimer even brought in Joe Montana to quarterback his Chiefs and still couldn't make it to a Super Bowl.

But history is history, and players like Tomlinson are interested only in making new history.

"I didn't know it was 5-11," Tomlinson said of Schottenheimer's record. "That lets you know how much I've paid attention to his playoff past. It really doesn't mean anything. He's coaching us and we're a different team than he's had in the past. We're going to leave it in the past."

Linebacker Donnie Edwards played in Kansas City under Schottenheimer and sees changes in the coach, starting with a greater willingness to listen to players through a committee of veterans.

"I've seen it all year. The way he's changed his coaching to understand the players and let the players understand the coaches has made it a two-way street now," Edwards said. "Any good coach or teacher has to change with the times. If you don't, life is going to pass you by. He's a great coach who is able to adjust with free agency and adapt. That leadership council we have now has helped tremendously."

Brees scoffed this week at the notion that Schottenheimer works his teams too hard, wearing them out before the playoffs.

"These are probably the same people who were saying a year ago that Peyton Manning wasn't a playoff quarterback. I mean, come on," Brees said. "People are always going to come up with reasons to criticize. There are people who are always trying to bring you down. You look at how successful Peyton has been as a quarterback and how successful Marty has been as a coach. There's no doubt that Marty and all of us have the ability to go out and win a championship."

Schottenheimer admits he used to take the playoffs for granted.

"I used to think you went every year. I thought it was a rite of passage," he said. "We went four years in a row in Cleveland. I went to Kansas City and missed one year. Then I went back another eight times, or whatever it was (seven). And I thought you went every year. I just thought it was part of the season. I'm not being cavalier when I say that, but obviously in the new NFL with salary caps and free agency, it's a very short fall from the penthouse to the outhouse."

Will his career be complete without a Super Bowl trip?

"It will be complete, because whenever it ends, it ends. Obviously, that's why we're all in this, to reach a point where we can be a part of a championship football team. Like I've said before, when I'm done, I'll sit back and kick back and enjoy my grandkids. I'll reflect, in large part, on the good times. And the good times, to me, are not just the games and the wins, but the work and the time spent together with players and coaches," Schottenheimer said.

Of all the ballyhooed teams in the AFC, the Chargers are the least publicized. None of their games were in prime time, so their accomplishments have gone unrecognized. If you were to guess, for example, that the Indianapolis Colts have the best offense inside the red zone, you would be wrong. It is the Chargers.

If you were to guess that Brees had a better interception percentage than Manning, you would be right. Tomlinson led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns and Antonio Gates set a league record for tight ends with 13 touchdown catches.

Under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the Chargers changed from a 4-3 bunch that couldn't stop the run or much of anything else to a tough 3-4 unit that stuffs the run and turns most teams one-dimensional.

Schottenheimer's team is mentally and physically tough and is third in the league in turnover ratio. The Chargers lost to the Jets in San Diego in week two largely because of turnovers and are looking forward to the rematch. Tired of being a perennial laughing stock, the Chargers aren't satisfied with their sensational comeback, not yet. Neither is Schottenheimer, who will gladly accept the risk of losing in the playoffs again.

"There is no midnight rule in the playoffs, not if you lose. There are many times I have just not even bothered to look at the tape until three, four weeks later, because it is what it is. It's over. You can't do anything about it at that point," Schottenheimer said.

Q: Why does it seem like this is the first year that people are making a big deal about teams benching their playmakers because of being afraid of injuries?
— Bret, Charlotte, N.C.

A: I think it's because of the unusually large number of teams that had nothing to gain in the final weeks — Philadelphia, Atlanta, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, New England, Indianapolis, and San Diego. That's more than I can remember in recent years, so the number of stories about the subject increased accordingly. I can't blame any team for being cautious. They are playing by the rules and the rules say that once playoff position is established, there is nothing left for which to play. Teams owe nothing to other teams that might need help. Some coaches like to play regulars long enough to keep them sharp and not lose momentum, but that's strictly the call of individual coaches. The argument is as old as the playoffs, with no new points on either side as far as I can tell. This for sure: the teams that lose will have taken the wrong approach, no matter what it was.

Q: Earlier this season it appeared that Kurt Warner finally got over the hand injuries that plagued him in his final years at St. Louis. Considering the fact he has no future in New York because of Eli Manning, what are the odds some hapless team such as the Bears or Cardinals will pick him up as a starter and give themselves and Warner at least one more shot at respectability?
— Ed, Manassas, Va.

A: The odds are excellent because Warner will be on the market and there is bound to be a team that offers him at least a level competitive field. One reason he didn't sign with the Bears (and other teams, he claimed) was the Bears didn't want to offer any competition for young Rex Grossman, especially with a new coaching staff. General manager Jerry Angelo didn't want new coach Lovie Smith to lean toward a veteran the way Joe Gibbs leaned on Mark Brunell in Washington and therefore delay the development of the younger quarterback. The Bears might be a team that is interested again. Others include the Cardinals, 49ers, Dolphins, Browns, and maybe the Titans, Seahawks or Lions.  

Q: Why would Minnesota pick up the option on coach Mike Tice with his horrible record, except that Red McCombs is a cheap owner who doesn't want to spend money? That is why the people of Minnesota should never pay for his new stadium. We want some improvement before we open up our check books! What are your thoughts?
— Brice, Spotsylvania, Pa.

A: That's exactly why McCombs did it. The alternative of hiring a new coach would have been too expensive for a man trying to sell his team. He's trying to reduce his costs to make the product more valuable. That being said, Tice has done a better job than McCombs has a right to expect. Tice is developing a pretty good nucleus and not many coaches would be able to deal with mercurial Randy Moss as well. Regardless of who coaches the Vikings, the people of Minnesota shouldn't feel the least bit obligated to build the carpetbagging McCombs a new stadium. He got the team dirt cheap to begin with and could be investing a whole lot of his own money into a new palace. He'll sell and maybe the new owner can offer a better argument for a stadium.

Q: I'm a Cleveland Browns fan. The 2004 season is over. The Browns are out of the playoffs again. Butch Davis quit and we need a new coach. Who would you go after?
— Quentin, Dover, Ohio

A: I would have gone hard after Nick Saban, but the Browns were too slow on the draw and apparently want to have a general manager in place. Owner Randy Lerner is a little gun-shy about hiring a powerful coach because of a bad experience with Davis. Whoever gets the GM job should go after an Ohioan like Bob Stoops. He would understand the great tradition involved. It would be like Ohio State seeing the light and hiring Jim Tressel. After the Orange Bowl debacle, Stoops might enjoy a change of scenery. Lions' defensive coordinator Dick Jauron also would be an excellent candidate. He's not from Ohio, but he appreciates football history and did a better job in Chicago than given credit for. And isn't it time for Pete Carroll to get another chance? He can't do much more at U.S.C.

Q: How many years do the Baltimore Ravens go without an offense before they decide they may have a coaching problem? The quarterback is blamed year after year. Baltimore is not a great place to go as a quarterback if you are planning on staying in the NFL.
— Mike McKinney, Martinsburg, W. Va.

A: They won't have offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh to kick around any more. You would think among Cavanaugh, Brian Billick and consultant Jim Fassel, the Ravens would be turning out more quarterbacks than they need. Actually, young Kyle Boller showed definite signs of improvement this season. It would have been a better test for all involved if the Ravens hadn't been swindled out of Terrell Owens by the NFL and had tight end Todd Heap and tackle Jonathan Ogden been healthy all season and running back Jamal Lewis been available. Next year is the year everybody finds out all there is to know about Boller and Billick.

Q: I don't think Joey Harrington is the answer. I just don't think that he is going to turn into a NFL quarterback. He was a good college quarterback, and that's all for some guys, such as Ryan Leaf or Gino Torretta. I do, however, think Steve Mariucci is a fine coach. Detroit will be better on defense, with Boss Bailey and Teddy Lehman at linebacker, and the defensive line is OK. We need a safety and a real West Coast offense quarterback. I personally think Mike McMahon may even be better for the offense than Harrington. He is more athletic and has a strong arm. What should the Lions do?
— Joe Martinez, Detroit

A: I don't disagree with your cautious appraisal of Harrington. He hasn't convinced anyone he's the answer. I do disagree that Mike McMahaon might be better. He's strictly a career backup in my opinion. He's got athletic ability and can make things happen in a hurry, but his decision-making needs about three years worth of honing. The Lions don't have that long to wait. Harrington must hit the ground running (and passing) next season and the Lions needs to acquire a Plan B veteran quarterback-maybe Jeff Garcia-to apply pressure. Rick Mirer is their third guy now and he's not the answer either. 

Q: Should Willis McGahee have gotten consideration for offensive rookie of the year? What about comeback player of the year?
— Craig Lennon, Highlands, N.J.

A: He's not technically a rookie, even though he didn't play his first year, so he's not eligible for rookie-of-the-year. He's got to be a leader for comeback player, although my vote went to Carolina linebacker Mark Fields, who spent last season undergoing chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin's Disease and missed the Super Bowl. I've heard Drew Brees mentioned as a comeback candidate but I think he qualifies more as a "most improved" than a comeback player. McGahee is definitely a comeback player because of his serious knee injury.

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