The season is only three games old, and already the Jets are in the most dire of circumstances.

At 0-3, their dream of making the playoffs for the first time since 2010 is basically dead. And the Jets have looked so bad at times in their first three games, that it’s fair to wonder if it’s even possible to get this season back on track.

But remember, 2019 was never about making it to the playoffs or contending for a Super Bowl. It was about showing progress and proving that this team is ready to become a contender next year.

That’s a bar the Jets still can clear, but it’s going to take a lot of work.

Here’s five things the Jets must do to salvage their season.

Block better

The Jets’ offensive line has been a disaster, and is probably the biggest reason for their historically inept offense to start the season — they’ve gone nine quarters without scoring a touchdown and have been outscored 15-11 by the defense.

“Not where we need to be,” Jets offensive line Frank Pollack said. “It’s a number of things … general execution and communication issues.”

Sure, it doesn’t help that Sam Darnold is out with mononucleosis. But the way the line has played in the last two games, Darnold wouldn’t have had a chance to fare much better than his backups.

The Jets have given up 13 sacks in three games, and the offensive line has been penalized 12 times. There seems to be some sort of botched communication every drive. And many times multiple players are messing up on the same play.

The line has been so bad that it’s neutralized the Jets’ most effective weapon.

Le’Veon Bell has 163 rushing yards this season, with 116 of those yards coming after contact. That means Bell is averaging only 0.8 yards before contact per rushing attempt. For comparison, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is averaging 3.0 yards before contact per attempt.

If the Jets have any hope of salvaging their season, the offensive line is going to have to be much better going forward.

“We would liked to have had it fixed three weeks ago,” Pollack said.

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Get to the quarterback

The Jets defensive line was supposed to be the team’s strongest unit this season. But the group has looked mediocre at best through the first three games.

The defensive line has done some things well, especially against the run. They’re allowing 3.6 yards per carry, which is tied for sixth-best in the league.

But they have not been able to get to the quarterback consistently. The Jets have just five sacks — only four teams in the NFL have fewer.

Leonard Williams, the consensus best player on the defensive line, has yet to make a significant impact as he searches for his first sack of the season. In fact, Bronson Kaufusi’s half sack is the only one registered by the defensive line through three games.

Defensive line coach Andre Carter says he’s happy with the unit and Williams play, because they’re making plays — even if the sack numbers aren’t there.

And their 19 QB hits, which is 11th in the league, helps back up his argument. But if the Jets are to overcome their other shortcomings on defense, they’re going to have to do a better job of finishing the job and getting the sacks. Getting Quinnen Williams back from an ankle injury can’t hurt.

Cover more consistently

After allowing touchdowns on the first three drives against the Patriots, the Jets’ held New England to just 10 points the rest of the game. It was a glimpse of what this group is capable of. And it was even more encouraging considering they did it without C.J. Mosley, the most important player on the defense, and with a patchwork group of cornerbacks.

But they had glaring communication issues early, and the Patriots made them pay every single time they made a mistake.

If the Jets continue to make three or four mistakes a game on defense, it’s going to be impossible for them to win — let alone against a team as good as the Patriots. Getting Mosley back will help, but the Jets need to show that they’ve learned from their mistakes and piece together a complete defensive game.

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More aggressive play calling

To be fair, coach Adam Gase is in an unenviable position with his offensive line struggling and starting three quarterbacks in the first three games. But that’s no excuse for the offense being as bad as it is. He was probably a little too conservative against the Patriots, running the ball on first down to start eight of the team’s 13 drives — including four of the first six drives.

The Jets also didn’t take any shots downfield. Their two biggest gains came on a short passes with runs after the catch — Braxton Berrios (23 yards) and a Bell (16 yards).

The Jets’ longest play of the season from scrimmage is a 36-yard pass (from Luke Falk to Robby Anderson against the Browns). Every team in the NFL has had at least one play go longer than that. Gase and the Jet are going to have to be more aggressive offensively to give themselves a chance.

Capitalize on the schedule

It wasn’t quite Joe Namath’s guarantee, but earlier this week Darnold made a bold proclamation about this team.

“We’re going to make a run,” he said. “And it’s going to be fun.”

And he could be right.

The Jets have the easiest remaining schedule, according to ESPN. So there’s that.

And when they get whole again, they’re talented enough to win some games.

But they can’t squander any more opportunities. How much different would everything feel right now if the Jets had put away the Bills when they had the chance?

The next time this team puts itself in a position to win a game, it must come through. And if they can somehow steal one or two of the next three games (at Philadelphia, and home versus Dallas and New England), perhaps that run Darnold foresees could mean something.

Email: vasqueza@northjersey.com