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PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : No Offense: Jets Fire Coach Coslet

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<i> Associated Press</i>

The New York Jets fired Coach Bruce Coslet on Friday and replaced him with defensive coordinator Pete Carroll.

“When we talked on Monday, I didn’t think we’d go this way,” Jet General Manager Dick Steinberg said. “But it became obvious there was a difference about the offense.”

Steinberg said he didn’t count on Coslet’s refusal to give up running the offense.

“He believed in himself,” Steinberg said, “but he was told when he first came here to develop an offensive coordinator or bring one in.”

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Coslet was hired by the Jets four years ago based on his successful offense at Cincinnati. The Jets were 26-38 during his tenure and never had a winning record, although their 8-8 season in 1991 got them into the playoffs. They lost their first playoff game, 17-10, to the Houston Oilers.

The Jets were 7-4 this season, but then lost four of their final five games. In the final six games, the Jets scored only three touchdowns and 36 points.

Carroll, meanwhile, coached a defense that produced two shutouts--6-0 against New England and 3-0 against Washington--and ranked second overall in the AFC and eighth in the NFL at 294.5 yards per game.

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Also fired were three offensive assistants--tight end coach Paul Alexander, special team coach Al Roberts and receiver coach Chip Myers. Defensive line coach Greg Robinson is expected to be promoted to defensive coordinator.

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Pro Bowl tackle Jumbo Elliott’s season ended when he was put on injured reserve by the New York Giants because of back problems. . . . The Kansas City Chiefs put cornerback Dale Carter on injured reserve because of a broken arm, and signed free-agent defensive lineman Keith Traylor.

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