Jets slim playoff hopes will be put to test in tough Cardinals matchup

GLENDALE, Ariz.— Not dead Jet.The Jets come to the desert Sunday with their playoff hopes alive … barely.After a strong second half against the Texans snapped a five-game losing skid, the Jets (3-6) are now hoping to begin a winning streak and a resurgence in the second half of the season that can put them in the postseason.The Cardinals (5-4) have won three straight games and are in first place in the NFC West, so this will not be an easy task.

But the Jets have a renewed confidence after the win over the Texans and three second-half touchdowns that showed what their offense can do.“I think there was a weight lifted off,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said, “but, you know, there’s a baseline level of kind of energy and enthusiasm that we kind of held ourselves to in training camp, and we haven’t necessarily been there the entire time, so we got to find a way to bring it every single day.“The key for young players to learn is that consistency starts with the minute you walk into the building, and everything you do needs to be intentional, and that starts with the conversation you’re having, the time you get to work, the way you take notes, and we’re starting to do some of the right things, but we’re a work in progress still.”The Jets were loose Friday, dancing on the practice field as they gathered to begin their session.There was a belief around the team this week that they can win this one and get on a roll.

They’ll need to if they want to end the playoff drought.They still have hope because the AFC has plenty of bad teams this season.For the Jets, though, this is not about scoreboard watching or thinking about who lies ahead on the schedule.

It is all about this week and building off that second half against Houston.“If you want to be a great team, you got to practice like a great team, and I think the last few weeks we’ve practiced a lot better,” Rodgers said, “but there’s still a standard we need to just come up an extra notch...