STEELERS Kicker doesn't believe in jinx

Jeff Reed thinks the footballs are more to blame for his low rate of success.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Jeff Reed dismisses the talk that the Heinz Field jinx is about to snare another unsuspecting Pittsburgh Steelers kicker.
The Steelers' stadium was one of the NFL's worst kicking venues in 2001 and 2002, mostly because of the ever-shifting winds off Pittsburgh's three rivers and a slippery, sandy turf.
Former Steelers kicker Kris Brown struggled so much there, he fled a Super Bowl contender to sign with expansion Houston.
A rebuilt playing field has proven much firmer and much less adventuresome this season, but it's not being reflected in Reed's statistics. His nine missed field goals -- four at home -- put him near the top of the league and have dragged down what were excellent career numbers.
Reed cites weather-hardened footballs more than any jinx for his recent run of four misses in six attempts and seven misses in 13 attempts. But he understands kickers are given little margin for error in a sport where they are only players expected to achieve near perfection.
"It's not that I'm a bad kicker," Reed said. "My goal is 75 percent and I'm not there right now. Just because it [the Steelers' stadium] is a tough place to kick doesn't mean it's impossible. All those things you hear about another kicker failing there, that means nothing."
0-for-2 vs. Jets
How important a kicker can be was never more evident than in the Steelers' 6-0 loss Sunday to the Jets on a snow-covered Giants Stadium turf.
While the Jets' Doug Brien was good from 41 and 28 yards. Reed missed from 42 and 20 yards. On a day decided almost solely by kickers, that proved the difference.
Reed also was 2-of-4 against Oakland the previous week and now is 20-of-29 (69 percent) this season after starting 14-of-16 (87.5 percent). Only Jacksonville's Seth Marler (18-of-29) and the Bucs' Martin Gramatica (14-of-24) have more misses.
"He is inconsistent right now," coach Bill Cowher said. "He has to fight his way through it, and I believe he will. Hopefully, what he is experiencing will make him mentally tougher for the future."
With the Steelers (5-9) out of the playoffs going into Sunday's home game against the Chargers (3-11), there's no talk of bringing in a replacement.
But Reed knows there's a high turnover rate once a kicker drops below the 70 percent range -- snow or no snow, dome or no dome.
"In my eyes, there's no such thing as a slump," Reed said. "You don't have time for a slump. In college, you might get another chance. In the NFL, you won't get another chance. I'll get it turned around."
Reed replaced Todd Peterson as the Steelers' kicker in November 2002 and went 17-of-19 the rest of the season. The former North Carolina kicker is 37-of-48 in his one-plus NFL seasons, an acceptable 77 percent rate.
To try to get out of his recent slide, Reed watches tape on a daily basis and calls other current or former NFL kickers for advice, including the Saints' John Carney.
"I don't think there's one guy in the league who doesn't want to be at the 80 percentile mark," Reed said. "It's a tough goal because you play in so many conditions over 16 games. ... You look around the league and it's crazy; there's one guy (the Colts' Mike Vanderjagt, 34-of-34) who's perfect. That's unbelievable."