New York Jets will be in the NFL playoffs in 2014 if…

One thing about the New York Jets: they are never boring.

Then again, things have been relatively quiet this offseason for a club that silenced a handful of critics last season. While many were forecasting doom for head coach Rex Ryan as well as his team, the club took a lot of teams’ best shots, administered a few of their own and wound up with a surprising 8-8 record.

The highlights included wins over the playoff-bound New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints. The lowlights featured lopsided losses to the Tennessee Titans (38-13), Cincinnati Bengals (49-9) and Buffalo Bills (37-14). Seven of the team’s eight setbacks were by 10 or more points.

Still, the Jets were a full four games behind the Patriots in the AFC East and haven’t been to the playoffs each of the last three seasons. But there is a sense of optimism surrounding the club in 2014, buoyed by the fact that the club won three of its last four games this past season.

There’s a lot to be said about momentum.

This is the 18th part of a 32-team series in which we’ll look at the “if, and & but’s” of each team’s chances to make the postseason.

Hence, the New York Jets will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2010…