Maybe that's why they changed directions literally Wednesday.

Two of their practice fields have been reconfigured since last week, so that they now are horizontal to the main building instead of vertical.

Unfortunately for the Jets, turning around their season won't be quite as easy.

They began preparing for their home game against Buffalo (6-7) on Sunday at 1 p.m. knowing they still control their playoff destiny. That is, if they keep winning.

"Honestly, I don't know what people are saying, reading, writing, or what's on TV," quarterback Brett Favre said, "but it's pretty simple. It really is. We've lost the last two games. We haven't played our best football. It comes down to little things, which always lead to big things. I don't think San Francisco played any harder than us. They may have played a little faster. I don't think they wanted it any more than we did."

Desire isn't the problem, Favre and his teammates believe. Execution is what has deserted the Jets (8-5) recently.

"I'm pretty optimistic," nose tackle Kris Jenkins said. "You look throughout the whole season, we've looked kind of like we've been bottom of the barrel and we've looked like we're the best thing since sliced bread. Now we're kind of bouncing in between. But we're in good standing and we still have a chance to do some good things this year. I'm optimistic we're going to change what needs to be changed and we're going to get it done."

"It's all correctable," Favre said, referring to the problems of an offense that has sputtered to a total of 31 points in the last two games. "We're a pretty simple offense, I think. There are a lot of simple offenses out there. To me, being complicated probably does more harm than good. What we've done in the last two weeks really hasn't been, as far as play-calling, any different than the five games that we got on the hot streak. We just didn't execute. People want to say, 'well they figured out the short passing game,' or 'you guys can't throw deep.' No one has figured out anything. It's a matter of execution."

Favre also made it clear that he hasn't lost confidence in himself or his teammates.

"There are three games left," Favre said. "We can't worry about the remaining two. We have to worry about this one. It will be tough, obviously, especially based on the way that we've played the last two weeks. I expect us to make the playoffs. I would hope that every guy in the locker room feels the same way. Why think any differently?"

OK, so it wasn't exactly a Namathian guarantee, and it didn't even quite rival safety Victor Green's guarantee after a loss to Pittsburgh in Dec. 2001 that the Jets would make the playoffs. (They did so that year on John Hall's career-long 53-yard field goal that beat Oakland four weeks later.)

But it was a confident statement, and confidence is something the faltering Jets can use right now.

"You've got to go with what Brett says," Jenkins said with a laugh when apprised of Favre's comments. "Brett's the dude. If Brett says it, then..."

And of course, Favre and the Jets were headed in a different direction than previously once they went to the practice fields. It's up to them whether that path leads to the postseason.

SERIES HISTORY: 96th regular-season meeting. Bills lead series, 52-43. The Jets had five sacks in their 26-17 road victory on Nov. 2, snapping Buffalo's three-game winning streak in the series. The Bills' Jabari Greer returned an interception off Brett Favre 42 yards for a score in that game. Buffalo had four interceptions off Jets quarterbacks in the two victories last season. However, there were two picks each off Chad Pennington (now with Miami) and Kellen Clemens (now the backup). Buffalo wideout Lee Evans caught an 85-yard touchdown pass in Buffalo's 13-3 win at Giants Stadium last year, and a 77-yard TD in the Bills' 31-13 win in New Jersey in Dec. 2006. Both of those TDs came from J.P. Losman, who is expected to start this game in place of Trent Edwards (groin).