Biggest Takeaways from New York Jets' Week 13 Win

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and the New York Jets are beginning to look a lot like a true playoff contender.

This game was about much more than the Snoopy Bowl. With the Jets' 23-20 overtime thriller of a win over the New York Giants, they inched closer to the playoffs and are threatening to end a four-year postseason drought in Todd Bowles' first year as head coach. 

Their approach over the past two games has not exactly been conventional—at least not by their own standards. The Jets have taken to the air with regularity that's rarely been beneficial when Ryan Fitzpatrick is the quarterback of a team, but it's worked in their favor. 

Here are some of the other takeaways from Sunday's big win. 

Ryan Fitzpatrick Can Carry the Team to Victory

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Well, it's been an interesting month for Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, hasn't it?

Just two weeks ago, he was arguably one of the worst players in a Jets uniform. "Fitztragic" went 34-of-73 passing (46.6 percent) for 409 yards (5.6 YPA), three touchdowns and four interceptions in Weeks 10 and 11. But it looks like the Miami Dolphins were the cure for Fitzpatrick's woes.

Over the past two weeks, "Fitzmagic" is 58-of-87 passing (66.7 percent) for 667 yards (7.7 YPA), six touchdowns and no picks.

When Fitzpatrick is playing like this, the Jets can be hard to beat. That will be especially true if running back Chris Ivory gets going. The Jets haven't gotten much production out of their start going back lately, but with Fitzpatrick playing the way he's played recently, it hasn't mattered.

Typically speaking, it's a risky proposition to ask Fitzpatrick to do more than manage the game. He's just 15-43-1 as a starter when he throws 30 or more passes in a game. But he's 2-0 in the past two weeks, and right now, that's all that matters for the Jets.

Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker Are Beasts

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I'm not telling you anything you didn't already know, but how could you possibly come away from Sunday's game not feeling even more strongly about wide receivers Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall than you felt headed into the game?

Once again, the two big-bodied receivers dominated an opposing secondary, combining for 20 receptions, 232 yards and a touchdown. That adds up to more than half of the Jets' total passing production on Sunday. Marshall came down with a touchdown for the fifth consecutive game, but this one might have been his biggest touchdown with the Jets, as it sent the game to overtime.

Decker remains the Robin to Marshall's Batman and is on pace to shatter the numbers that he posted last year as the team's No. 1 receiver. This offensive system, which has used him more in the slot—combined with Marshall's presence drawing attention away from Decker, and Fitzpatrick's efficiency—has made Decker just as dangerous as he was with the Broncos in 2013. 

The Jets have the foundation for a dominant passing attack, and with Fitzpatrick playing the way he's played recently, the Jets are finally starting to realize that potential.

The Running Game Has to Snap Back

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The Jets ran the ball 24 times for 90 yards on Sunday against the Giants, which marks the fifth time in the past seven games in which they have rushed for 90 yards or fewer. 

The Giants run defense isn't even that noteworthy; headed into Sunday's game, they had allowed an average of 110 rushing yards per game to their opponents.

Running back Chris Ivory did his part, taking 10 carries for 47 yards, but a costly fumble forced the Jets to get away from the running game. Bilal Powell and Stevan Ridley combined for 21 yards on nine carries, which significantly dragged down the Jets rushing average. It's understandable to keep Ivory fresh, but with just 10 carries on the day, exhaustion should have been the least of their concerns.

Fitzpatrick showed on Sunday that he can carry the team at times if he has to, but he shouldn't have to, and the Jets shouldn't expect him to continue to do so for the remainder of the season—and potentially into the playoffs.

The Jets Defense Can Still Play at a High Level

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For five straight games, the Jets allowed more than 21 points each game. In the past two games, they've allowed just 20 points in each game. 

The Jets defense has given up passing yards in bunches at times this season, with more than 300 passing yards allowed in four of their past seven games. However, they clamped down on Giants quarterback Eli Manning and held him to just 297 yards passing, 52.9 percent completions, one touchdown and one interception. The Jets held the Giants to just 74 rushing yards, and the Giants converted just four of their 15 third-down attempts.

As a team, the Jets surrendered 20 points, but the defense was responsible for just 13 of those points with the special teams giving up a punt return touchdown to Giants return ace Dwayne Harris. 

The defense could be the team's best weapon when the playoffs begin—but they'll need it to continue being a weapon for the next four weeks to ensure that they get to the postseason at all.

The Jets' Playoff Hopes Are Still Very Much Alive

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If the playoffs began today, the Jets would be the No. 6 overall seed and would face the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in the Wild Card Round. 

Of course, the playoffs don't begin today, and there are still a ton of games on the schedule with huge playoff implications. That being said, the Buffalo Bills handed a loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday that only helps the Jets as they try to get an edge over their opponents on their way into the playoffs. 

At 7-5, the Jets are now tied with two other teams in the race for the two Wild Card spots. With four games left, the Jets have two home games and only one game against a team with a winning record.

The Jets have their playoff fate in their own hands. The only thing they can do is win as many games as possible.