CHARGERS SCHOTT IN FOOT.

Byline: BILLY WITZ NFL 

All eyes in San Diego were turned Monday toward Chargers headquarters, waiting to see what color smoke would be emanating from the chimney -- or was it from the ears of team president Dean Spanos? -- an indication of whether Marty Schottenheimer would be back as coach following his team's crushing 24-21 loss to New England.

It seems unfathomable that the question being mulled is whether an organization that has been to one Super Bowl, and as recently as six years ago had won but a single game, would fire a head coach whose team had just gone a franchise-best 14-2 and won its second AFC West title in three years.

Schottenheimer is 47-33 in his five seasons in San Diego, a mark that's been bettered by only the Colts, Steelers, Patriots, Broncos, Eagles and Seahawks. Of course, the difference is each of those teams has played in at least oneconference championship game. The Chargers haven't even won a playoff game.

And given Schottenheimer's abysmal playoff record -- he's won just five of 18, and his last victory came in 1993 -- and the way the Chargers came unglued against the Patriots, it's a fair question to ask if they ever will.

For a moment, put aside the questionable game decisions -- passing up a 48-yard field goal and going for it on fourth-and-11, wasting a timeout on a groundless challenge and not putting the ball in LaDainian Tomlinson's hands more often in the second half.

Of more concern were the two foolish personal foul penalties and the jittery performances of several players, most notably Eric Parker, who dropped twopasses that killed drives in NewEngland territory and fumbled a punt that set up a Patriots' field goal.

The party line in the locker room was that Schottenheimer didn't drop balls and didn't commit dumb penalties, which of course is true. But how many times can his teams, which avoid those types of mistakes in the regular season, keep making them in the playoffs for it to be dismissed as coincidence?

Parker was overwhelmed by the moment, just as Nate Kaeding was two years ago when he missed a 40-yard winner in overtime to the Jets. Or just as Elvis Grbac and Lin Elliott, Schottenheimer's quarterback and kicker in Kansas City, were overwhelmed in 1995 and 1997, when the Chiefs were bounced in their playoff opener. Both those Kansas City teams had been unbeaten at home and had homefield advantage throughout the playoffs -- just like the Chargers.

Teams are reflections of their coaches, and it was evident Sunday the way the Patriots -- who were pushed around much of the afternoon -- kept on fighting, just as Belichick did in the first half when he went onto the field to pump his fist and exhort cornerback Ellis Hobbs.

The Chargers played hard, too, but too many of them played without focus.

That won't be a problem for Spanos, who left the field in the final moments with general manager A.J. Smith, just as he usually does.

``I'm going to sit down with A.J., as we do at the end of every season, and we will evaluate coaches, players, the entire organization,'' Spanos told the San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday night.

Be assured, though, that Smith's evaluation has long been done. Privately, he believes Schottenheimer, who was hired by his predecessor, the late John Butler, isn't a very good coach, no matter what his 200 wins -- the fifth most in NFL history -- suggest.Smith wanted to fire Schottenheimer after last season, when the Chargers lost several times on late-game blunders and missed the playoffs.

As it is now, they rarely speak.

Still, if Smith, who has a keen eye for evaluating players, can convince Spanos that Schottenheimer, who is owed $3million for the final year of his contract, must go, then who would he hire?

Speculation is that he'd promote defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, whom he worked with in Buffalo and has helped turn the defense around the past three seasons.

But Phillips would hardly be an inspiring choice. In fiveseasons as a head coach in Buffalo and Denver, his teams reached the playoffs three times and lost all three -- including the Music City Miracle.

Sound familiar?

And wasn't it Phillips' defense that allowed the Patriots to march down the field at the end of both halves? And wasn't it his decision to have All-Pro nose tackle Jamal Williams on the sidelines when the Patriots ran Kevin Faulk up the middle for the game-tying two-point conversion?

Then again, Barry Switzer forever lowered the bar on the qualifications required to win a Super Bowl.

It's hard to imagine this job, with nine Pro Bowlers on hand, most of them locked up, not attracting all kinds of suitors.

If Bill Parcells can worm his way out of the final year of his contract in Dallas, what would keep him from chasing it? Hmmm. Let's see, a no- maintenance superstar and a quarterback I don't have to read about dating the starlet-of-the-week?

Where do I sign up?

If Schottenheimer is fired, he too could be in demand -- in places where 14-2 might be appreciated. It's amusing to imagine him in Oakland, where he'd be able to torment the Chargers twice a year. And what would be a better fit than him returning to his hometown, where Martyball seems made for the Steelers?

Managing the Cubs?

Schottenheimer, who met individually Monday with players as they arrived to clean out their lockers, was expected to meet with reporters, too, as is his custom. But that was pushed back until today when a spokesman sent out an e-mail saying ``we anticipate he will be available.''

They aren't the only ones.

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