Six keys to success for Jets

Is the Jets' season slipping away?

Todd Bowles' rookie head-coaching campaign began in promising fashion: a 4-1 start that included wins in Indianapolis and London. But the bloom is off the proverbial rose and the Jets, now 5-4, are facing their toughest stretch of adversity.

Losses are piling up, injuries are mounting and fans are frustrated. But despite it all, there is a silver lining: Thanks to a watered-down AFC this year, the Jets are in the thick of the wild-card hunt with Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Oakland and Houston.

The next month and a half will speak volumes about the Jets' talent and mental toughness.

Here are six keys to success that could turn them into a playoff contender in the next seven games:

PLAY LIKE YOU MEAN IT

How many times have we heard players say some version of: "We just came out flat" or "We can't keep making the same mistakes"? For whatever reason, the Jets have struggled to start fast on offense and have failed to prevent big plays when on defense. Do they have an intensity issue? Is it a question of talent? Or do they just not know how to consistently put teams away? It's anyone's guess what's plaguing them, but it's Bowles' job to figure it out and fix it.

KEEP FEEDING CHRIS IVORY

Chan Gailey knows what the deal is. Opponents are going to stack the box each week and force quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to beat them with his arm. But as we've seen time and time again, Gailey's offense goes as Ivory goes. He gained 460 yards in their first four games, prompting teammate Brandon Marshall to call him the NFL's best running back. But in two of their four losses, he averaged only 1.1 yards a carry. (Ivory missed the Eagles game in Week 3.) He returned to form in Thursday night's loss to the Bills, gaining 99 yards on 18 carries, but can he keep the momentum going? Bowles hired Gailey because of his creativity and his ability to draw up schemes to get guys open. So going forward, he has to figure out how to spread the field and create more holes for his feature back.

THE BIG-MONEY GUYS HAVE TO MAKE PLAYS

The double-teams are inevitable. That's a fact. But Brandon Marshall has to find a way to get open and hold on to the football. On a few occasions, he's lamented: "I let my team down." After 10 years in the NFL, however, he has to do better. Marshall doesn't have blazing speed, but he's got the height and size to break games open. Too often, opponents have taken him out of plays, but it's not all on Marshall. Eric Decker also must prove he's worthy of his five-year, $36.25-million deal. While he may not be a pure No. 1 target, he's a very good possession receiver. For the Jets to be effective down the stretch, Decker has to catch more of the passes thrown his way.

DEFENSE NEEDS TO DOMINATE

Mistakes are one thing, but missed tackles and defensive breakdowns just can't happen. The Jets' defense impressed against the Bills, sacking Tyrod Taylor four times and hitting him eight times. But overall, there have been too many mental lapses, too many big plays allowed and not enough of a pass rush without the benefit of the blitz. The unit has more than enough playmakers to consistently put opposing quarterbacks on their backs and keep skill players out of the end zone. The key to the unit's success is simple: Get more turnovers. The Jets are 5-0 when they have at least two takeaways.

FITZMAGIC CAN'T FIZZLE

Aside from some bumps in the road, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been everything the Jets had hoped: a solid game manager who doesn't repeatedly compound one mistake with another. But while Fitzpatrick -- who has thrown nine interceptions -- isn't expected to take over a game by himself, he has to make sound decisions and take care of the football. The offensive line, of course, plays a large role in Fitzpatrick's success. He has been given plenty of time to make throws and has been sacked only seven times. If the O-line can keep that up, it'll go a long way toward making the offense go.

BOWLES CAN'T ACT LIKE A ROOKIE

He's the antithesis of Rex Ryan in every conceivable way, except one. The first-year coach repeatedly has been questioned about his in-game management, and Thursday night's loss to the Bills was just the latest head-scratcher. There was Bowles' late third-quarter decision to kick the extra point instead of going for two, plus a fourth-and-4 play-call involving Kellen Davis with 3:02 left in the game. Much attention has been paid in recent weeks to Bowles' use of timeouts (or lack thereof) and when and why he chooses to go for it versus playing it safe. At 5-4, the Jets have very little margin for error in the next seven games. The last thing they can afford is questionable game-management by the man in charge.