Known as a malcontent early in his career, Brandon Marshall is trying to rally the struggling New York Jets with a positive attitude.
The outspoken wide receiver acknowledged Monday that not every teammate is buying his message.
"Some do, we don't need all," Marshall said. "We just need the right guys to feel that way. You need your leaders to have this kind of energy, this type of outlook. That's all you need."
On Sunday, Marshall stood in the middle of a depressed visitors locker room after the team's third straight defeat -- a 31-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers -- and tried to be a cheerleader. Surrounded by reporters, he clapped his hands and let out a loud whoop.
It was a surreal scene, considering the Jets' plight.
"Everyone reacts differently," Marshall said. "Some guys are sad over the loss, some guys are pissed off, some guys may even be ready to give up, but we have the right guys with this type of energy, this type of outlook that will get it turned around."
Facing a difficult schedule, the Jets (1-4) have lost to four 2015 playoff teams. It doesn't get much easier. Next up are the Arizona Cardinals (2-3), yet another opponent that made the postseason last year.
Marshall said he expects the Jets "to get killed in the streets and killed in the media" because of the disappointing start, but he believes the adversity will strengthen their resolve.
"Failure speeds up the growth process," he said. "That's what I'm excited about. We've had a lot of failure these first five games and we're growing rapidly because we have no choice."
Coach Todd Bowles is dealing with the first three-game losing streak of his 21-game tenure. His defense has yielded at least a 100 passer rating in every game, and the entire team has performed poorly in the second half of games.
In the past three games, they've been outscored a combined 37-7 in the third and fourth quarters. Their only touchdown came on a fluke play, a fumble recovery.
"We've got to take a hard look at that and figure it out because that has been a recurring problem," said quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has nine interceptions and only two touchdown passes during the losing streak.
"We play hard, we play tough, we play smart most of the games," Bowles said. "We just have to find a way to turn the corner."
Only 6 percent of the teams that began 1-4 under the current playoff format made the playoffs. Barring a major turnaround, the Jets will miss the postseason for the sixth straight year.
Bowles said he's not planning any staff changes to shake up the organization.
"We have a good plan in place, we have a good staff in place," he said. "Our players, for the most part, are playing tough football right now. It's just a matter of making some critical changes in the second half as far as making plays. I don't feel there's a need to change right now."