It may seem insane for those close to Marty Schottenheimer to hear this, but if Bill Belichick and the Patriots come to San Diego and stuff L.T. and beat the Chargers you can bet the mortgage that Schottenheimer will be unemployed next Monday.

This is why Miami owner Wayne Huizenga should wait to see the outcome of this weekend's playoff game. Schottenheimer, who hasn't heard word one about an extension in San Diego after going 14-2 this season, basically doesn't even talk much football with the team's general manager, A.J. Smith. It definitely is the worst football marriage among the remaining playoff teams.

Schottenheimer will be 64 next September, and unlike his younger buddy, Bill Cowher, he definitely wants to keep coaching another four or five seasons.

There is no doubt that Schottenheimer is a solid coach. It's his 5-12 playoff record that the Chargers are very concerned about. Smith and Dean Spanos believe they have a Super Bowl worthy team and if they don't make it to Miami, well, you get the drift.

Smith might turn the job over to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. At least, those two men talk to one another.

Boring Bears played a role

The Eagles are very upset about playing Saturday night in New Orleans after winning their playoff game late Sunday night. They officially have the shortest time in which to prepare for their Divisional Playoff game. But the league definitely wanted the Saints, America's new favorite team, to be playing in prime time on Saturday.

The Saints wanted it, too. Unlike the Bears, the Saints have an exciting offense and Reggie Bush.

Yes, the league could have shifted the Saints to Sunday night and had the Bears play early on Saturday. That makes some sense because Seattle has few national followers.

But that would have meant forcing the Patriots to fly across country and play San Diego on Saturday night. You can bet that owner Bob Kraft and Bill Belichick would have gone nuts. Like the Eagles, they would have been stuck with the short week and a much longer flight than Philadelphia's. Fighting the winds this time of year, the Patriots would have been in the air more than six hours.

And that's why the Eagles drew the short stick. The Bears are boring and Kraft carries more weight at the league office.

Why Arizona Loses

There are a lot of great things about playing and working in Phoenix. The Cardinals have a first-rate facility and their new stadium is an exciting venue. So, why can't the Cardinals turn around their fortunes?

Because ownership simply doesn't get it.

They should be turning over their football team, control and all, to the best man available. They made a semi-run at USC's Pete Carroll, but the money and the control factor wasn't enough for Carroll. Now, they apparently are allowing several veteran players to be a part of the coaching interview process. How nuts is that? An owner may want to ask one of his veteran players what he thinks about someone as a coach, but it should be simply to gauge the locker room. What head coach wants to accept the job knowing that the players didn't want him or preferred someone else?

The Cardinals may have better offensive talent than some NFC teams, but they will never win until the Bidwill family takes a bold initiative and steps away from the team and find the right man. I would have kept Denny Green for one more year and waited to sign Bill Cowher next year and given him the keys to the team.

Jones furious with Parcells?

If the story coming out of New Jersey is correct, that Dallas head coach Bill Parcells tried to throw his name in the ring for the general manager position with the New York Giants once his son-in-law, Scott Pioli, politely declined to be interviewed, Jerry Jones has got to be livid. Its one thing to want to retire and leave the Cowboys, but it's a totally different issue to leave and then work for a divisional rival like the Giants.

Jones wants Parcells to coach his team next season. This news could jeopardize that situation.

Speaking of Pioli, his decision not to pursue the New York job may put the clamps on other teams pursuing him in the future. But who can blame him? He enjoys working with Belichick and the Patriots, and as long as Tom Brady remains healthy, New England will continue to be a Super Bowl contender virtually every season. That is not a bad thing.

Pioli has passed now on several opportunities, from Cleveland to Miami and Seattle. A lot of money has been tossed at him, but Bob Kraft pays him over $1 million and he loves New England.