NFL

Jets earning high marks in chemistry

Back in the offseason, when the Jets could only talk about how good they would be, there were valid concerns about whether team chemistry and a void in leadership would prove their undoing.

Front-office decisions to trade Leon Washington, cut Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca and not re-sign running back Thomas Jones weren’t popular with existing players, who didn’t understand the need to jettison proven veterans.

The signing of LaDainian Tomlinson after a sub-par season in San Diego wasn’t exactly greeted with open enthusiasm, and the acquisitions of players like Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes came with questions about their character and commitment.

As much as Rex Ryan boasted about Super Bowl dreams, the Jets seemed vulnerable to chaos from within. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned about the 5-1 Jets, those concerns can be put to rest. While there’s no guarantee the Jets will be choir boys the rest of the season, chemistry and leadership have proven to strengths instead of liabilities.

“We know what type of guys we have in this room,” said wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery after Sunday’s 24-20 triumph in Denver.

If anything, team chemistry is stronger than it was last year when a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback were trying to figure out how to handle their respective responsibilities.

Ryan was all about the defense and virtually ignorant of the offense, while Sanchez labored over every bad play often compounding one mistake with another.

Now Ryan isn’t shy about sticking his head into an offensive meeting and Sanchez worries more about his teammates than himself, assuming the leadership role that became his when he was named the franchise quarterback.

It was evident during the Jets’ game-winning drive against the Broncos, when he repeatedly told his team to take “one play at a time.”

Tight end Dustin Keller said Sanchez “does it so much it gets annoying.”

Tomlinson also has stepped up as a leader. On pace for 1,300 yards rushing, he has played better than anyone expected, showing young legs and a youthful enthusiasm.

“He’s playing inspired ball, and it’s contagious,” Sanchez said.

The wide receivers — Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes and Cotchery — are three distinct personalities. Yet, they’ve worked together without one trying to overshadow the other.

Holmes might tell offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, “I want the ball in my hands,” more than necessary. But it hasn’t offended Cotchery or Edwards, who is playing better than he did last season.

Edwards’ arrest for DWI might have been validation for those who thought the Jets should have been more careful about the company they were keeping. But he has been a steady contributor, catching four touchdowns and avoiding the big drops he had last season.

Keller, meanwhile, is having a break-out year, and the running game has remained productive averaging 159.2 yards per game.

As far the team-chemistry issue, the Jets have been forced to depend on each other perhaps more the most teams. They knew they were entering the season under a microscope having been featured in HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series and all the talk of them being a Super Bowl contender gave them an instant “us against the world mentality.”

They were forced to publicly back cornerback Darrelle Revis through his long holdout, and then support Edwards when he was arrested.

Outside criticism for the dust-up over their “unprofessional” locker-room conduct toward reporter Inez Sainz also forced them to circle the wagons as each week became a test of their character.

Throw in gut-check wins over the Vikings and Broncos and the Jets have added confidence to their swagger.

“You fight through adversity and find ways to win a game, it builds your character as a team,” Cotchery said.

How good they can become is uncertain, but leadership and team chemistry won’t be holding them back.

george.willis@nypost.com