As interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich reminded, "The playoffs should be the last thing on our mind right now. We've just got to play better football."

Yet a sidelong glance at the standings indicates how important this afternoon's MetLife Stadium game against 4-6 Indianapolis can be, not only for the 3-7 Jets' mental and physical well-being but for any hope of a second-half run.

The Jets are the 11th team out of 16 in the AFC conference standings and need to pass four teams to get to the seventh and final playoff berth — a tall task indeed.

Yet better football and a win over Indy would move the Jets ahead of the Colts due to the head-to-head tiebreaker. One down, three to go?

In taking on the Colts, the Jets have had some adjustments to their roster and starting lineup on all three units. The big three items:

Offense: With LT Tyron Smith (neck) inactive for the first time this season, first-round rookie Olu Fashanu will get the start and protect QB Aaron Rodgers' blindside. Fashanu had gotten snaps at RG and RT, including two starts in Games 4-5 for Morgan Moses, but until Arizona, he hadn't played at his Penn State position of LT. With Smith down after the first half, Fashanu got 33 offensive reps vs. the Cards.

Defense: Veteran S Chuck Clark, who started the Jets' first six games, then missed the next four with an ankle injury, returned to practice this past week and has been moved to the active roster. Ulbrich didn't announce his starting safeties but Clark and Tony Adams started those first six games alongside each other in the deep middle and his return bolsters the safety position that had thinned out after the injuries to Clark and the next week to Adams. DL Solomon Thomas (knee) also returns after missing last week's game.

Special Teams: The Jets will send out their fourth different kicker in four games when second-year player Anders Carlson, elevated from the practice squad, handles placements and kickoffs. Carlson comes on after Greg Zuerlein was placed on Injured Reserve, Riley Patterson kicked for a game, then was waived, and rookie Spencer Shrader kicked at Arizona, then was signed off the practice squad by Kansas City. "We're confident Anders can get it done," Ulbrich said after a windy Friday practice at One Jets Drive.

The Jets aren't the only team in transition at key spots. Colts HC Shane Steichen early in the week was thought to be looking for Joe Flacco to start his fourth straight game, thus setting up a matchup with Rodgers of the two oldest active QBs in the NFL.

Instead, the Colts will start second-year QB Anthony Richardson, and so the matchup will be Rodgers, who turns 41 next month, against Richardson, at 22 the second-youngest QB in the league.

The Jets defense will attempt to rein in the dangerous former first-round pick, who augments RB Jonathan Taylor in the Colts' strong run game (ninth in the NFL at 4.72 yards/carry) but also has a 44.4% passing accuracy that is last among 36 QBs with at least 100 attempts this season. Richardson and the Indy offense will also be without starting LT Bernhard Raimann, out with a foot injury after starting 33 of the previous 36 games for the Colts.

A big part of that defensive attack will be directed by Jamien Sherwood, who has started the last eight games for defensive captain and MLB C.J. Mosley (neck). Sherwood comes into the game off his career-high 17 tackles vs. the Cards, giving him 93 defensive tackles and, including 4 special teams tackles in Games 1-2, 97 total tackles for the season. Sherwood is likely to hit 100 tackles in both categories in Sunday's expected sunny, breeze and mild Meadowlands weather conditions.

The Jets' six-player inactive list for Sunday's game:

• RB Izzy Abanikanda
• CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse
• LB C.J. Mosley
• OL Jake Hanson
• T Tyron Smith
• DL Braiden McGregor

The Colts have a seven-man inactive list for the game:

• 3rd QB Sam Ehlinger
• WR Anthony Gould
• S Darren Hall
• G Josh Sills
• T Bernhard Raimann
• TE Will Mallory
• DE Genard Avery