When the Jets take the field at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, they will begin the final month of the final year of one of the worst decades in team history.

The Jets will face the Bengals on Dec. 1 with five games remaining in this dismal decade. No, they are not going to end it with a playoff run. That ship sailed weeks ago. But the Jets might be able to provide their fans some hope that the 2020s are going much more fruitful and enjoyable than the 2010s were.

This decade takes its place alongside the 1970s and 1990s as the worst in team history. There was only one trip to the playoffs all the way back in 2010 that was followed by a playoff drought that will reach nine years this year, the second-longest in team history.

The one playoff appearance is less than they had in any decade other than the ‘70s. They have had just two winning seasons this decade (one more loss this season ensures that number won’t grow). Only the ‘70s (zero) and 1990s (two) are in the same discussion.

The Jets enter Sunday with a 65-90 record this decade for a winning percentage of .419, trailing the ‘70s (.368) and ‘90s (.406) by a little.

Wins over the Bengals and Dolphins in the next two weeks would give the Jets a five-game winning streak, something they have not experienced since 2015. It would put them at 6-7 heading into a Thursday night game at the red-hot Ravens. No one will give the Jets a chance to beat the Ravens, but even entering that game with their season still alive will be a major accomplishment, considering where they were at 1-7 just three weeks ago. After that game in Baltimore, they face the Steelers and Bills, two teams the Jets should at least be competitive with.

A little winning streak here and a finish of 7-9 or 8-8 should be encouraging for Jets fans. Of course you want a playoff appearance, but a strong finish to this year will show progress.

The Jets were a terrible late-season team under former coach Todd Bowles. From 2016-18, the Jets went 5-19 in November/December/January. The last time the Jets were 4-7 was 2017 and they won one more game the rest of the way.

Finishing the season with the arrow pointing up will give fans reason to believe better days are ahead.

During this three-game winning streak, Jets fans have had particular reason to feel good with two young stars on either side of the ball leading the way after some midseason drama.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has gone from seeing ghosts to seeing open receivers. He has thrown seven touchdowns and one interception during this run and has a QB rating of 117.2

Safety Jamal Adams has gotten over his hurt feelings from the trade deadline and played like a man possessed. He has 6 ½ sacks in the last four games and is leading a defense that is playing at a high level.

Coach Adam Gase has also navigated his way through a tricky start to the season that saw him lose his starting quarterback for three games and inside linebacker C.J. Mosley for all but two games. Gase never lost the locker room. In a telling scene after Sunday’s game, Gase entered the locker room and headed directly to Adams’ locker. The two shook hands and hugged, a far cry from last month when Adams did not want to speak to Gase or GM Joe Douglas.

The next five weeks are not going to definitely tell us whether Darnold, Adams or Gase are going to lead the Jets for the next decade. But they can provide more reasons to believe.

Then, it will be on Douglas to rebuild this roster around them, beginning this winter.

As the decade comes to a close, there are not many Jets memories from it worth remembering. But the final month can give Jets fans some reasons to believe the next decade is worth dreaming about.

For more on the Jets, listen to the latest episode of the “Gang’s All Here” podcast: