San Diego ? No “Martyball” in the Super Bowl again this year.

San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer absorbed his sixth consecutive playoff loss Sunday when the New England Patriots rallied for a 24-21 victory over the Chargers.

Not even league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson and Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers could prevent Schottenheimer’s dreadful postseason record from sinking to 5-13 – with Cleveland, Kansas City and San Diego.

The defeat was Schottenheimer’s fourth with the conference’s top-seeded team, and the ninth time his teams have lost their first playoff game.

“Anytime you’re in the playoffs and lose – and certainly I have plenty of experience at it – there’s a disappointment,” Schottenheimer said.

The Chargers lost their fourth straight postseason game dating to the Super Bowl following the 1994 season. They had a first-round bye this time, thanks to their 10 consecutive wins to close the regular season that gave them an AFC-best 14-2 record.

“Right now, the only thing I’m interested in is making sure that the group of young men in the locker room and the coaching staff understand that, while we didn’t go anywhere in these playoffs, we had a darned good football season,” the 63-year-old Schottenheimer said.

“At this point, I’ll take some comfort in that. It kind of balances the disappointment of today.”

The loss may not sit well with general manager A.J. Smith. Schottenheimer has a year left on his contract, at more than $3 million, but he and Smith have had an icy relationship for months.