Happy Hour 02/13: Fired Faster than Greased Lightning!

So if you're San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, do you wish you'd have just promoted Cam Cameron or Wade Phillips now?

I realize it probably wasn't looking very good with a big chunk of Marty Schottenheimer's staff running off to other gigs. But given how much chatter there was about Marty getting fired after San Diego was knocked out of the playoffs, isn't it now pretty clear that the Chargers really wanted to make a coaching change, but couldn't justify it after a 14-2 regular season, and the presumption that most of the band would get back together again?

But it's not like the Chargers won't have a stack of resumes to choose from. You could argue that the talent pool is even deeper now that the Super Bowl has passed. None of this "we'll have to talk after the playoffs" junk now. Or they could just talk to the other nine candidates Jerry Jones didn't hire in Dallas.

(By the way, do you think any of the guys who pounced on the six previous openings in the NFL are kicking themselves today? What's a better gig than taking over a 14-2 team?)

Reportedly, Schottenheimer clashed with Smith and team president Alex Spanos over trying to hire his brother Kurt as defensive coordinator. I'm guessing that upon receiving Marty's request, the following sentence might have been uttered by either Smith or Spanos: "Kurt Schottenheimer? Didn't Matt Millen fire that guy?" In the two years that Marty's younger brother oversaw the Detroit Lions' defense, they finished 30th and 28th in the NFL. Of course, he would've had far better players to work with in San Diego. But nepotism should only take a guy so far, don't you think?

▪▪ As you might imagine, Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz has already been mentioned as a potential replacement for Schottenheimer. (Jay Crawford pitched his name on ESPN's "1st and 10.") But is it saying something that John Clayton has him listed last, behind four no-chance candidates, among his 12 possibilities for the job?

Happy Hour 01/15: The Curse Even L.T. Can't Lift

Facing the possibility of losing your job after a 14-2 regular season seems pretty harsh. But when your postseason record is 5-13, and your team - which might just have been the best in the NFL - is going home after losing in the divisional round of the playoffs, I suppose you have to deal with a tough crowd.

I feel bad for Marty Schottenheimer. And I found it hard to believe that there was talk about him being fired if the Chargers lost to the Patriots.

Yet here he is, trying to digest another playoff loss. And he can't just shrug his shoulders and chalk it up to John Elway's greatness anymore. This Chargers team was probably the best team he's ever had going into the postseason. Better than those Browns teams that lost to John Elway. Better than the Joe Montana Traveling Road Show in Kansas City.

It wasn't Schottenheimer that fumbled away an interception, giving New England the ball back on the San Diego 32-yard line. Had Marlon McCree hung onto that ball, the game might have been over. The Chargers had an eight-point lead, and could've run a big chunk of the remaining six-and-a-half minutes off the clock. Yet the Patriots capitalized on the opportunity - because that's what they do - and tied the game five plays later.

However, the head coach may have made the situation even worse by challenging for a replay when it was glaringly obvious that McCree had fumbled. Down by contact? No chance, Coach. Burning what turned out to be a precious time-out on such an unnecessary challenge likely cost the Chargers crucial yards they needed for a game-tying field goal attempt.

And Schottenheimer did make the call to go for it on 4th-and-11 from the New England 30-yard line. Was he just trying not to be Andy Reid? Sure, that decision was made in the first quarter and didn't directly affect the outcome of the game. But those three points ended up being pretty important.

Dropped passes? Muffed punts? Turnovers? Personal foul and unnecessary roughness penalties? Even though the head coach didn't botch those plays, we know where the blame for such mental mistakes ultimately falls.

This one really has to hurt. Because the MVP, LaDainian Tomlinson, had a good enough game for his team to win. And the Patriots looked as beatable as they ever have in the Belichick/Brady era. Schottenheimer may never have had a better chance than this - and it could be the last one he gets.