SAN DIEGO -- You've probably heard a lot of talk about "Martyball" this past week, and you're likely to be hearing a lot more today from the talking heads on the NFL pre-game shows.

Ignore it.

Anyone who says "Martyball" could have a bearing on this afternoon's Patriots-Chargers AFC semifinal playoff game doesn't know what he's talking about.

"Martyball" hasn't been played by the Chargers since they were in Baltimore back on Oct. 1, in their third game of the season.

It was after that disappointing 16-13 loss to the Ravens, in which the Chargers turned ultra-conservative trying to protect a lead in the fourth quarter (young quarterback Philip Rivers was allowed to throw just four passes in the first 29 minutes of the second half as San Diego let a 13-7 advantage slip away) that the play-calling was completely turned over to offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. On the defensive side, Wade Phillips already was calling the shots.

It is no coincidence that, since then, the Chargers' offense has been increasingly wide-open, innovative and productive. They have scrapped head coach Marty Schottenheimer's buttoned-down approach and allowed Rivers to cut loose and take full advantage of the explosive talent at his disposal -- in particular, star running running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the league's MVP after scoring an NFL-record 31 TDs (28 of them rushing) and talented tight end Antonio Gates, who led team with 71 catches, good for 9 TDs.

That the coordinators now have total control on both sides of the ball, while Schottenheimer is nominally in charge of the "big picture," is not necessarily good news for New England fans who were counting on "Martyball" being an advantage for the underdog Patriots as they take on the top-seeded Chargers this afternoon at QualComm Stadium.

Although Schottenheimer has won 200 regular-season games -- the most of any active NFL coach, and fifth on the all-time list -- and also has 13 playoff appearances in his 21-year, NFL career, he is known more for his postseason failures than his regular-season successes.

His winning percentage plummets from .613 (200-126-1) in the regular season to .294 (5-12) in the playoffs. He's never made it to a Super Bowl, losing three times in conference championship games. He has lost his last five playoff games, including two as the No. 1 seed when he was coaching in Kansas City in 1995 and '97, when the Chiefs scored a combined total of 17 points.

Five times -- and this is the crux of "Martyball" -- Schottenheimer's teams have lost playoff games after leading in the fourth quarter. Much of the blame for this has been attributed -- not always accurately -- to his tendency to go into an offensive shell in an effort to protect those leads; to play it safe, rather than playing to win.

That's what he did earlier this season in Baltimore, because he was concerned about letting Rivers, who was making just his third start in the NFL, throw the ball against one of the league's best defenses.

Here's where you need to know some history.

If Marty had had his way, Drew Brees still would be the quarterback in San Diego. Understandably, Schottenheimer preferred to stick with an experienced signal caller with whom the Chargers had been successful, and with whom he was familiar.

But that wasn't going to happen. Not after the Chargers acquired Rivers on Draft Day, 2004, in a trade with the Giants for Eli Manning, who'd been taken by San Diego with the first pick overall, despite his insistence that he'd never sign with them.

Chargers' general manager A.J. Smith took Manning anyway, knowing the Giants coveted him, and so was able to obtain Rivers -- the guy he wanted all along -- as well as some extra picks in the bargain.

Rivers was signed to a six-year contract, worth $40.5 million. There was no way that the Chargers were going to continue to pay him that kind of money to sit on the bench, especially after Brees injured his throwing shoulder in the final game of the 2005 season as he was about to become an unrestricted free agent.

The Chargers allowed Brees to sign with New Orleans, where he has led the Saints to a 10-6 record and the No. 2 seed in the NFC, and handed the starting job to Rivers.

Schottenheimer, who came close to losing his job last season after the Chargers missed the playoffs -- following a first-round playoff loss, in overtime, to the Jets two years ago -- was reluctant to give the inexperienced Rivers the green light early on, especially when the coach could have the kid hand the ball to Tomlinson.

But all that did was hinder Rivers' development and put self-imposed limitations on the Chargers' offense.

That where Cameron comes in.

Now in his fifth season with the Chargers, Cameron came to San Diego after five years as head coach at Indiana, where one of his prize pupils was Antwaan Randel El.

Allowed a free hand in play-calling, the highly-creative Cameron has taken the wraps off Rivers, and increased both the unpredictability and productivity of the Chargers' attack.

Rivers has been throwing the ball more often, and more effectively, and boasts a league-high passer rating of 116.6 In the fourth quarter.

So it'll be Cameron and Smith, not Schottenheimer, who'll really be matching wits today with New England's coaching genius -- three-time, Super Bowl champion, Bill Belichick.

That might have been a mismatch, especially if Schottenheimer reverted to playing "Martyball." Belichick's at his scheming best in the big games, while Schottenheimer's synapses seem to go into grid(iron) lock.

Unfortunately for Pats fans, they won't be seeing "Martyball" this afternoon in San Diego.

"Martyball" makes for a nice story, but it doesn't happen to be a pertinent -- or even accurate -- one.

jdonalds@projo.com / (401) 277-7340