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Jets could clinch unlikely playoff berth

Dec 31, 2006 - 2:23 PM Oakland (2-13) at NY Jets (9-6) Sunday 1:00 pm ESTEAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) - The New York Jets werenot expected to be part of the postseason party in EricMangini's first season as coach. With a win over the Oakland Raiders in their regular-seasonfinale on Sunday, the Jets could clinch an AFC wild-card berth. After making the playoffs three times in five seasons undercoach Herman Edwards, the Jets are on the cusp of reaching theplayoffs a year after going just 4-12.The Jets are one game ahead of Kansas City, Cincinnati,Jacksonville and Tennessee for the final wild-card spot, buthold the tiebreaker over each team.Now all the Jets need to do to make the postseason is beat theRaiders, who are tied with Detroit for the NFL's worst record.Detroit would get the first pick in April's draft if the teamsend with the same record."We need to take care of what's in front of us, and what's infront of us is the Oakland Raiders," Mangini said. "That's allour focus has to be on. Anything else after that point we'lladdress when and if it happens. The key thing for us is to takethe same consistent approach that we had in Week Six, Week One,Week 12, that's how we've been able to make progress. That'show we've been able to be successful and that's not going tochange."The 35-year-old Mangini - a former defensive coordinator underBill Belichick in New England - and quarterback Chad Penningtonhave been at the center of the Jets' turnaround.Pennington's 64-yard completion to rookie running back Leon Washington set up Mike Nugent's 30-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the Jets' 13-10 victory at Miami on Christmas. In Art Shell's return to the sidelines, the Raiders have endured another awful season.The Raiders have lost eight straight games and matched thefranchise record for losses in a season set when they went 1-13in 1962 - the season before Al Davis arrived to coach andeventually own the team.The dismal season has led to speculation that Shell could befired. He also was fired by Davis following the 1994 season.