The ultimate we-treat-'em-all-the-same coach acknowledged Monday what everyone else knew.

"If there hadn't been a sense of urgency, there certainly will be now," Mangini said the day after his team played one of its worst games of the season in a 24-14 loss at San Francisco.

The loss was the Jets' second straight after five consecutive victories, dropping them into a three-way tie for first in the AFC East at 8-5.

Players spent the week leading up to the 49ers game discussing the result of the previous week - a 34-17 loss to the Broncos on Nov. 30 - as a "wake-up call," but they turned in an even worse performance in San Francisco.

"What we have to figure out is what we did to win those eight games and get back to that," linebacker David Bowens said in the relative quiet of the visitors' locker room at Candlestick Park.

Players didn't try dressing up the sow they had been a part of in fine clothing, but there was a silver lining.

"We control our own destiny," Brett Favre said Wednesday.

Which, poor play aside, the Jets do.

Should they win out - today at home against the Bills, next week in Seattle and the season finale Dec. 28 at home against the Dolphins - the Jets will capture the AFC East crown and advance to the playoffs.

Players took solace in that. Of course, there was little from the field Sunday that offered much in the way of comfort.

"The fact that we still have everything in front of us regardless of losing two in a row ," right tackle Damien Woody said Monday. "There is always going to be ups and downs. There is always going to be adversity. Nobody said it was going to be easy getting this thing done, but we have a bunch of good guys in this locker room."

The Bills seem to present as good an opportunity as any for the Jets to emerge from their slump. Buffalo has lost six of its last seven games and has not scored a touchdown in two games.

Backup J.P. Losman has done nothing since replacing the injured Trent Edwards at halftime of a 10-3 loss to the 49ers two Sundays ago, though he does get a shot at the Jets' pass defense, ranked 31st in the league, which has made stars of the Chiefs' Tyler Thigpen and the 49ers' Shaun Hill.

For their part, the Jets have talked up Losman as if he's Jim Kelly, and probably for good reason: They're in no position to take anyone lightly or any situation for granted.

Favre played poorly against the Broncos and turned in his worst game in four years against the 49ers last Sunday, going 20-for-31 for 137 yards passing and zero TDs. He has seen firsthand how quickly things can go from euphoric to despondent around a franchise that has gotten used to much more of the latter during the last 40 years.

"Oh, there they go again, the old Jets," Favre said humorously, reflecting the doom and gloom surrounding the team that was prompted by the last two defeats (and most of the last four decades).

But Favre's confidence, one of the reasons the Jets traded for the veteran, hasn't wavered. He even uttered a word Mangini forbade two years ago when the Jets went 10-6 and were a wild-card team.

"I expect to make the playoffs," Favre said. "There's three games left. 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 we've played the last two weeks. But I expect us to make the playoffs. I would hope that every guy in the locker room feels the same way."

Bills AT Jets,

1 p.m.

TV: Ch. 2

Radio: WEPN (1050)

ABOUT THE Bills

Record: 6-7

Coach: Dick Jauron

(third season, 20-25)

Last week: Miami Dolphins defeated Bills, 16-3, in Buffalo

The skinny: The Bills started the season 4-0 and were 5-1 before the bottom dropped out. They enter today's game having lost six of their last seven. The Jets won the first meeting, 26-17, Nov. 2 in Orchard Park, a loss from which the Bills, 5-2 entering that game, haven't recovered. The Bills haven't scored a touchdown in two games and rank 23rd in the league in total offense (309.6 ypg). The Jets received a break Thursday when Bills DE Aaron Schobel, a past Jets pest, was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. Also, CB Jabari Greer, who returned a Brett Favre interception for a score against the Jets Nov. 2, was ruled out Friday with a knee injury. This team is a mess.

MEET THE ENEMY

J.P. LOSMAN, QB

Losman was unhappy last season when he lost his starting job to Trent Edwards but has had some chances this season to show the Bills they made a mistake. Losman replaced an injured Edwards at halftime of the Bills' 10-3 loss to the 49ers on Nov. 30 and started last week in Toronto as the Bills lost to the Dolphins, 16-3. Losman went 13-for-27 for 123 yards passing with one INT and was sacked four times against Miami.

Losman doesn't have a traditional gun, but he does have some scrambling ability. It is doubtful that Edwards will play today against the Jets. Losman has to feel as if this might be his best chance yet to shine, as the Jets have the league's 31st-ranked pass defense.

INJURY REPORT

Jets - Doubtful: WR Brad Smith (concussion). Questionable: LB Eric Barton (knee), DB Ahmad Carroll (foot), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), LB David Harris (groin), NT Kris Jenkins (hip), LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder). Probable: WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder), DB James Ihedigbo (neck), LB Jason Trusnik (knee).

Bills - Out: DE Aaron Schobel (foot), CB Jabari Greer (knee). Doubtful: QB Trent Edwards (groin). Questionable: CB Dustin Fox (groin). Probable: WR Josh Reed (back), DT Marcus Stroud (hip).