FLORHAM PARK — If the Jets' situation feels familiar halfway through this NFL season, that's because it is. For the third straight year the Jets are 3-5 through eight games.

That's close enough to the pack to dream about the playoffs in the AFC. But it's also close enough to disaster: The season could be just a loss or two from spiraling out of control.

Each of the last two years, the Jets' season has nosedived with five losses in the final eight games. How will this year's Jets fare, and how many wins will coach Todd Bowles need to keep his job?

Here's our game-by-game projection for the second half of the season.

Nov. 4 at Dolphins

Score: Jets 24, Dolphins 14

Why: It looks unlikely that Ryan Tannehill will be healthy enough to play in Sunday’s game. The Jets have everything at stake, and last year’s ugly collapse in Miami should serve as even more motivation. The Jets have been competitive all year, they should be able to beat Brock Osweiler in a game they need to win to save their season.

Record after Week 9: 4-5

Nov. 11 vs. Bills

Score: Jets 28, Bills 10

Why: The Bills are a bad football team and the Jets have played some of their best football at home. Expect the Jets to take advantage of a perfect opportunity to pull back to .500 as they arrive at the bye week and thrust themselves into playoff contention.

Record after Week 10: 5-5

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Nov. 25 vs. Patriots

Score: Patriots 24, Jets 21

Why: The Jets always seem to play the Patriots tough at home. And they do on this day, in a well-played game with both teams fresh coming off their bye weeks. But the reality check comes in the form of Tom Brady marching down the field for a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

Record after Week 12: 5-6

Dec. 2 at Titans

Score: Titans 21, Jets 20

Why: A win against Tennessee would put the Jets in prime position to make a run in the homestretch of the season. But the Jets haven’t done well in close games this season and the Titans, who have been in several battles, grind out the win. The Jets get their hearts broken in the Music City.

Record after Week 13: 5-7

Dec. 9 at Bills

Score: Jets 17, Bills 14

Why: Winning on the road is tough, even against bad teams — as the Jets proved earlier this season in Cleveland. But the Jets find a way to get it done, even on a cold day, as Darnold leads a late game-winning drive to keep the Jets’ faint postseason hopes alive and surpass five wins for the first time since 2015.

Record after Week 14: 6-7

Dec. 15 vs. Texans

Score: Texans 28, Jets 17

Why: The gulf between the Jets and a playoff-level team becomes apparent as Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt are too much. The Jets drop a pivotal game and their playoff hopes are officially dead.

Record after Week 15: 6-8

Dec. 23 vs. Packers

Score: Jets 31, Packers 21

Why: It’s hard to imagine Aaron Rodgers being fully healthy at this point in the season. And the Jets, with no pressure on their shoulders, end the home schedule on a strong note with Darnold’s most impressive game yet as a pro against a Packers defense that has been vulnerable.

Record after Week 16: 7-8

Dec. 30 at Patriots

Score: Patriots 31, Jets 17

Why: The Jets haven’t won a regular season game in Foxborough since November of 2008. One of these days, that will change. But not on this late-December day. The Patriots beat the Jets, handing them their third straight losing season.

Record after Week 17: 7-9

What it means

At 7-9 the Jets finish with their best record since 2015. It’s their fifth losing season in the last seven years and their eighth straight time missing the playoffs. But its progress and probably enough to keep Todd Bowles around for 2019. (Anything less than seven wins and Bowles' future becomes tenuous, despite last year's contract extension.) But that’s when the expectations will take a massive jump forward, with the Jets expected to have nearly $100 million to spend in free agency. Showing signs of progress won’t be enough. The Jets will have to win in 2019 or wholesale changes will be in order.

Email: vasqueza@northjersey.com

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