NFL

Job one for Jets: Don’t sleep on Seahawks

BIRD LAND: A Jets loss to Golden Tate (left), Russell Wilson and the Seahawks on Sunday would assure no more talk of the postseason for the Green and White, writes the Post’s Mark Cannizzaro. (
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The bye week is over for the Jets, who returned to work yesterday to try to right the wrongs of the 3-5 mess they put themselves in during the first half of the season, which resumes Sunday in Seattle.

The Jets’ focus now must be narrow and singular. It cannot be on the big picture. It cannot be on trying to decipher the incalculable permutations of what it will take to make the playoffs.

No, the Jets’ focus cannot be anywhere but on the Seahawks — who are undefeated at home this season — or they will fly home from the Pacific Northwest riding a three-game losing streak with a 3-6 record and virtually no chance of making the playoffs.

“It’s imperative for us to not get too far ahead of ourselves,’’ linebacker Aaron Maybin said yesterday. “One of the problems when you start to look too far ahead is you don’t become as concerned as you should be with the here and now. And at this point in the season, that’s something we can’t afford to do. We have to make sure we stay focused on the here and now, because we can’t affect the weeks ahead until we affect who we play this week.’’

Maybin recognizes the danger of the Jets placing too much focus on making the playoffs.

“Whenever you’re overly concerned with what’s ahead of you, a lot of times it can be easy to miss what’s right in front of you,’’ he said. “You can’t worry about what’s going to happen two or three weeks from now until you take care of the team you’re playing this week.’’

In an effort to convince his players that all is not lost this season, coach Rex Ryan stood before them yesterday and invoked memories of the Jets’ 2009 season, his and Mark Sanchez’s first year with the team.

Ryan gave his players a dissertation about how that Jets team, which went to the AFC Championship, was the first team in NFL history to reach the postseason despite having two three-game losing streaks in the regular season.

Ryan said he “showed [the players] where we are, where we want to be and how we plan on getting there.

“We’re not sniffing the playoffs,’’ he said. “We’re not sniffing anything right now, but I want to get there, man.’’

The Jets were in similar dire straits in 2009 after losing six of seven games during one stretch to fall to 4-6 with four games to play. Later that season, Ryan, after a home loss to the Falcons to drop the Jets to 7-7, famously declared his team out of the playoffs when it wasn’t actually mathematically eliminated.

So Ryan’s point yesterday to the players was simple: You’re not out of this.

The point here is as simple: Look beyond the Seahawks and you will be out of it.

“Rex told the team about the two three-game losing streaks [in 2009],’’ linebacker Bryan Thomas said. “We’ve got eight games left. What if we win out? What are we then, 11-5? So, the season is not lost. We put ourselves in a bind and we have to fight our way out it. I know we can do it. We have a lot to look forward to.’’

Defensive tackle Mike DeVito, who like Thomas is one of the veterans who was on that 2009 team, called this predicament a “similar situation’’ to what that team went through.

“It has been brought up to the guys who weren’t here [in 2009],’’ DeVito said. “Guys have talked about it, guys know that we had those two three-game losing streaks that year, so guys know the history.

“The leaders like Bart [Scott] and Mark and the guys who have been through it can rally and tell the younger guys who were not here, ‘We’re still in it, so keep your confidence.’ ’’

DeVito said Ryan’s message to the team was, “It’s still right in front of us.’’

“It’s a boring-ass season if you don’t make the playoffs,’’ safety LaRon Landry said. “(Bleep) that.’’

Here’s some advice for Landry and his teammates: Bleep any thoughts about the playoffs right now. Concentrate on beating the Seahawks Sunday in Seattle. Survive and advance each week and tally it up when the schedule runs out.

Maybe then it’ll be 2009 all over again.