As the individual playoff races shape up and begin to shake out, many teams are finding their playoff hopes fading fast or perhaps already evaporated completely. And that means there are a few head coaches out there who should be getting a little nervous about their current employment situation.

Dick Jauron, of course, was already given his walking papers by the Buffalo Bills. Following are three guys who could soon be joining him on the unemployment line:

Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans - Off to a 5-3 start, it appeared the playoffs were finally in sight for a franchise that has never seen the postseason. Three losses later and the Texans are facing a must-win situation the rest of the way out. Particularly disappointing are the two losses to division rival Indianapolis in which Houston initially held 13-0 and 14-0 leads.

Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears - After trading for quarterback Jay Cutler, expectations were raised tremendously in the Windy City, especially following a 3-1 start. Having won just one of their last seven contests and looking like a team with a lot of holes to fill, Smith is beginning to feel the pressure from fans and the media alike. Question is, are the Bears willing to eat the remainder of his contract?

Jim Zorn, Washington Redskins - As good as gone the moment he was stripped of play-calling duties, Zorn's firing after the season is probably inevitable, especially with so many proven coaches out there right now. Owner Daniel Snyder likely won't be able to resist making a play for one of the big-name coaches available for the signing.

Several other coaches could also be on the wrong end of the coaching carousel come February, and there could be a surprise move or two with the coaching talent available. For the most part, though, these three guys are feeling the most heat at this time.

Getting tired of the same old office pools that pop up each year with the opening of the football season? Why not try something different this year like a prognostication pool?

What is a prognostication pool?

It can be a one-time thing or a weekly contest featuring your favorite team, or perhaps pick the top match-up of the week. The idea is to successfully predict the outcome of a series of questions based on the anticipated results of a particular football contest. Questions can be as simple as who will win the game and as obscure as which quarterback will post the highest passer rating. Each question, generally anywhere from 10-20 total, gives the participant the opportunity to register one point each by correctly predicting a certain outcome. The player who makes the most correct predictions is that game's winner, or you can accumulate points over an entire season to determine a champion.

Here's an example of a prognostication pool...

The penalty flag was first used in the NFL in a game between the Green Bay Packers and the Boston Yanks on September 17, 1948. More football firsts...

NFL football is as big a tradition at Thanksgiving as the turkey and pumpkin pie. And if your Thanksgiving celebrations are like mine, most of the football fans head right for the television as soon as they hit the door.

If you have to battle rather large crowds to get a prime view of all the NFL action, you know that it sometimes takes a little bit of planning and strategy to maintain a solid viewing position throughout the day. Being the huge football fan that I am, though, I've developed a plan to make sure I always have a prime location so that I don't have to miss a moment of the action... or any of the delicious Thanksgiving fixin's! Read more...