0 Steelers Kick Coverage may break the record... In a Bad Way! Posted by DieHardFans | at 2:34 AM

If you're a Steelers Die-hard fan, then you should know that their kick coverage has been putrid, but considering how bad the Steelers coverage teams over the years have been, it's easy to not realize just how rank this year's special teams are. Thankfully, the Football Outsiders are able to give it some perspective. In the 15 years of stats the FO guys now have data for; the Steelers are coming up on a very dubious record. The 1995 Bills have the record for the worst kick coverage unit of all time.

They are so bad that the difference between them and the second worst team is as much as the difference between the second worst and the 53rd worst unit. But now the Steelers are not far behind the 1995 Bills for putridity. And it's not just the kick coverage. Jeff Reed's kickoffs have been the worst in the league, significantly worse than anyone else, which is another argument why they should be OK with bringing in another kicker next year.

Football Outsiders ranks the kick coverage units by points. The Falcons are the best in kick coverage at 11.1 points. The Lions are second worst at -12.8. Pittsburgh is sitting at -26.2. Only three teams in those 15 years have finished worse than -20 with the Bills' -31 easily the worst since 1994. It's unlikely that the Steelers will catch the '95 Bills. It's hard to keep being as bad as they've been in recent weeks, but it is a good reminder that this unit isn't just a group that's having a couple of problems, it's a group that is one of the worst kick coverage units you'll ever see.

0 Dick Jauron gets the chop after a miserable start to this season... Posted by DieHardFans | at 11:42 PM

True to previous form, the Bills have underachieved in 2009. As a result, its management has made a stunning move, firing head coach Dick Jauron. The decision was taken by owner Ralph Wilson, just a few days after the team was beaten badly in Tennessee.

“I am announcing today that I am relieving Dick Jauron from his duties as our head coach, effective immediately,” said Wilson in a press statement. “I have tremendous respect for Dick and thank him for all of his efforts during these past four years. While this was a very difficult decision, I felt that it is one that needed to be made at this time for the best interest of our team. We will now focus on moving forward and preparing for our game this week in Jacksonville.”

He is the first head coach to be fired during a regular season, since Hank Bullough’s termination, which also came after nine games in the 1986 season. Jauron’s job has long been on the line, and the team started 1-4 including an awful defeat at home, 6-3 to the Cleveland Browns. They are 3-6 through the first nine games. Run defense was a major issue for the Bills, as they ranked higher than 22nd in the league against the run and are currently last in the NFL in that category this season.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson said this year that he was expecting a big turnaround, and he loosened the purse strings for some expensive free-agent signings, including wide receiver Terrell Owens. But it hasn't worked, and now Jauron is out of work. The Buffalo Bills announced that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell would serve as interim head coach for the remaining seven games.

0 Jets continue their Downward Spiral as they lose 3 straight at home... Posted by DieHardFans | at 2:42 AM

After starting the season 3-0, including impressive victories at Houston and New England, the Jets have fallen flat on their faces. With a home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday, against a team that was previously 1-3 on the road, the Jets have now lost four of their last five games.

Three of these games were at home, against the Bills, Dolphins and Jags. Their problems emanated from losing the turnover battle (3-to-1), and their inability on the run defense to stop Maurice Jones-Drew. He ran for 123 yards on 24 carries and also threw in 22 receiving yards for good measure. The Jets were able to move the ball at times, amassing 322 yards on 60 plays (compared to 347 on 60 plays for the Jags). They were also pretty comparable in terms of time of possession. When the two teams play that evenly from scrimmage, the game is usually decided on turnovers. And it was. Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez set the tone, throwing an interception on the first play of the game.

Then in the third quarter, the Jets sandwiched two turnovers, Braylon Edwards fumble and another Sanchez pick was around a takeaway of their own. In a game where every inch counts and was decided on a last minute field goal, you can't turn the ball over like that. Despite that, they still had a chance to win. They held a one-point lead after a solid drive concluded with a Thomas Jones touchdown. But at the end it wasn’t enough for them to get the win they were looking for. They don't have much time to grieve after this loss, however, because they head to New England for a rematch with the hated Patriots next Sunday. You can expect the Pats to be out for a little revenge, too, so the Jets have their work cut out for them.

The Jags will look to win their third consecutive game next week when they face the Bills at home and look to thrust in the play-off picture.