What we'll learn about the Jets in their final 6 games of the season

The unofficial midpoint of the season is behind us. 

The Jets return from their bye week on Monday to get ready for a six-game sprint to the finish. They're probably not going to get back into the playoff hunt. But there's a lot at stake, especially for coach Todd Bowles and the young players on the team who are trying to establish themselves as trustworthy NFL players. 

Here's what the final six games of the season might tell us. 

Is this team a surprise or a disappointment? 

Most talent evaluators predicted the Jets to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season and struggle to win any games. So with four wins, the Jets have already surprised most and exceeded expectations. But that pleasant surprise vibe could vanish if their recent slump continues. 

The Jets' feel-good 3-2 start is not so rosy after losing four of their last five. And it's not just that they've lost these games, it's how they've lost them: The 14-point first-half lead that evaporated against New England; the fourth quarter meltdown in Miami; the squandered second-half lead against the Falcons; and the no-show performance in Tampa. 

The losses to Miami and Tampa are the worst because one can make a good case that this team should be 6-4 right now and in the thick of playoff contention. Still, if the Jets can get two or three wins in the final six games, they can salvage a surprising season. No one expected this team to win six or seven games. And if the Jets do, it will be a big confidence booster for a young and growing team.

But if the Jets lose out (making them losers of seven straight and 10-of-11) or finish 1-5 (making them losers of nine-of-11 to end the season), it will be more difficult to argue that 2017 is anything but a disaster: too many wins for a high draft pick, too many bad losses to feel that progress has been made. 

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Where does Hackenberg stand?

The Jets are obviously in the market for a quarterback in next year's draft: general manager Mike Maccaganan attended Saturday night's showdown between USC quarterback Sam Darnold and UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. 

But what about the quarterback they have buried at the bottom of their roster? Christian Hackenberg, the Jets' 2016 second-round pick, has yet to take a snap in the first 26 games of his career. In fact, he's only been active for two of those games. 

The odds are that by the time the Jets reach the final game or two of the season, they'll be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. And that seems like an ideal chance to get a look at Hackenberg, whose only action has been in the preseason.

If the Jets play him in that situation, it will tell us they're at least holding out hope that Hackenberg could be the quarterback of the future -- although, there's no reason to believe that he'll start lighting it up after two underwhelming preseasons landed him as the third-string quarterback.

But if the Jets keep Hackenberg glued to the bench and use Bryce Petty instead -- Petty made four starts last year, so they already have an idea of what he can do -- it has to be viewed as an admission that the Hackenberg experiment isn't working out.

Are the safeties for real? 

The Jets dynamic, rookie safety duo is an example of an experiment that has worked out. 

Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye are the first rookie safeties to start together since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, and they've looked the part of veterans. But there are some tough tests coming up that will measure how far they've actually progressed: The Panthers, Chiefs, Saints and Patriots all have dynamic offenses with versatile targets that Adams and Maye will have to account for. 

There will be growing pains and mistakes made over the final six games, that is unavoidable. But if the safeties keep up their overall good play, the Jets should continue to believe that they may have something special back there. 

Who is worthy of staying on offense?

It's been a turbulent season for the Jets' offense, which is coming off it's worst performance of the year at Tampa Bay. The Jets were completely inept on offense and didn't score a touchdown until the final minutes when the game was already out of reach. 

That follows up miserable stretches of offensive ineptitude which hurt the Jets in losses to the Patriots, Dolphins and Falcons. So the Jets face big offensive questions in the final six games, including who deserves to stay on this team. Kelvin Beachum and Brian Winters have had solid seasons overall, but the offensive line has mostly struggled and center Wesley Johnson, right guard James Carpenter and right tackle Brandon Shell could all be playing for their jobs. 

Wide receiver Robby Anderson and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins should both tbe in the Jets' long-term plans (although, Seferian-Jenkins is a free agent to be). But rookies ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen have yet to prove they're NFL playmakers. They can change that in the final six weeks.

A big CB question

Expect the Jets to get a look at young cornerback Rashard Robinson in the final six weeks. Robinson is a big, speedy cornerback with the talent to be a solid NFL pro. But he's been dogged by penalties -- he had eight in his first eight games  The Jets traded for Robinson earlier this year, but he has yet to play at cornerback.

"He has to learn the scheme," Jets coach Todd Bowles said of the 49ers 2016 fourth-round pick. "As a defensive back, there’s a lot of things to learn mentally. You can’t just come in and play."

Robinson should have had that time to learn over the bye week, so expect him to get a chance soon.

Email: vasqueza@northjersey.com