EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It has been a few years since the New York Jets actually felt good about themselves going into the final game of the season. You have to go back to 2015, when they had 10 wins and needed an 11th to secure a wild-card spot. They choked against the Buffalo Bills that season, and there went the feel-good vibe.

The optimism has returned -- in a relative sense, of course. The Jets (6-9) aren't going to the playoffs, but they have flipped the narrative. Widely regarded as the 31st or 32nd team in the NFL after an embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins that dropped them to 1-7, they have won five of seven to reach the stage that every losing team aspires to reach in December.

It's called the hope stage, and it was best articulated Sunday by safety Jamal Adams.

"We're not that far away, man, we're really not," he said after a 16-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. "I want people to understand that. It might seem like it is, but we have to put our head down and keep grinding."

Here's the deal with late-season hope: It can be a harbinger of brighter days or it can be fool's gold. In their history, the Jets are more familiar with the latter, as they have celebrated many non-playoff, upbeat finishes only to be slammed with reality the following season. Remember 2013, when coach Rex Ryan & Co. partied after an 8-8 season, declaring the momentum would carry them into 2014?

Ha! The Jets crashed to 4-12 and everybody got fired.

The current Jets deserve to enjoy the moment because it's never easy in the NFL to return from the edge of the abyss, but they have a lot of work to do in the offseason. After beating the Steelers, coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas talked for a few minutes in the middle of the locker room. They will be having a lot of conversations in the coming weeks as they prepare for 2020 free agency and the draft.

The Jets' to-do list is long. The offensive line needs an overhaul. They need cornerbacks. Did you see Blessuan Austin and Arthur Maulet struggle on Sunday? They need an edge rusher or two. They need another weapon for quarterback Sam Darnold, who could lose big-play receiver Robby Anderson in free agency. They might need a running back, depending on what they decide to do with Le'Veon Bell, who isn't a $13 million-a-year player.

"I think we're not too far away," Darnold said. "We do need to play more consistent football, especially on offense, but there are definitely some bright spots that we can continue to work on this offseason."

The Jets have to be careful, though. Even if they finish 7-9 by beating the Bills -- entirely possible, considering the Bills can't improve their playoff seed and might rest starters -- the Jets can't fall into the trap that has swallowed them up so many times in the past. Even though it would culminate a remarkable turnaround, it would be dangerous to invest too heavily in that stock.

This isn't to suggest this late-season rally is meaningless. Nothing beats winning, especially for a first-year program. Gase is trying to establish a culture and, while he doesn't have the right players yet, he can build a foundation -- an attitude -- by winning. Clearly, they play hard for him. As linebacker Brandon Copeland said, "A lot of other teams being 1-7 would've given up and written off the season."

The Jets didn't do that, which shows the amount of heart in the locker room. Heart is great, but there must be talent, too. In another week, Douglas will be on the clock, finalizing his free-agent rankings and diving into draft prep. He will attack the roster in a major way, and it wouldn't be a surprise if there's a 50% rate of turnover in 2020.

"We have a new program with new guys and new faces and coaches, injuries and things like that," Bell said after beating his old team. "When all of that happens, it's going to take time to get the ship sailing in the right direction. Now we're starting to see the ship turn a little bit."

Warning: Watch out for icebergs.