The New York Jets led from start to finish Sunday, pulling away in the fourth quarter for a convincing 40-17 win against the Miami Dolphins. There’s much to say about their second win in a row as we get to our Jets takeaways from Week 5 against the Dolphins.

The win snapped a 12-game losing streak within the division for the Jets. It was also their first win against the Dolphins since December 2019. The Jets have won consecutive games for the first time since 2020. And they’re 3-2, tied with the Dolphins for second place in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills (4-1).

They are over .500 for the first time since the start of the 2018 season when they won their season opener. They promptly lost three straight and nine of their next 11. But even though their schedule ahead is not easy, it feels like these Jets are different, on the upswing, and won’t have a similar crash and burn.

That said, let’s get to our Jets takeaways from their Week 5 win against the Dolphins.

Jets rookies shine again in win against Dolphins

The fingerprints of Sauce Gardner and Breece Hall were all over this win. And yet again, Jets rookies made their presence felt. The group of Gardner, Hall, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson, Micheal Clemons, and Max Mitchell have positively impacted each game this season. It’s typically not just one of the rookies standing out but multiple each week.

Gardner set the tone Sunday on the first defensive snap. Blitzing from his corner position to the right of Miami quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, Gardner forced a safety. He picked off rookie Skylar Thompson in the second quarter for his first NFL interception. He helped the Jets limit the production of Miami’s stud wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (10 catches combined for 70 yards). It wasn’t a perfect afternoon, as there was a long pass interference penalty in the first half. But Gardner played a huge role in the victory.

The Jets contend that Hall is a home run threat on every play. He displayed that ability on a 79-yard catch and run down the left sideline in the first quarter to set up a Michael Carter one-yard TD run. He also once again showed his ability to be the lead back, wearing down the opposing defense. He finished with 97 yards on 18 carries, just missing out on becoming the first Jets rookie with 100 yards rushing and receiving in the same game.

Jets once again are 4th quarter finishers

One of the signs of a good team is the ability to finish. To put the opponent away. To consistently own the fourth quarter.

The Jets are proving they have that in them.

In each of their three wins, the Jets have dominated the fourth quarter on both sides of the ball. They create big turnovers on defense and the offense puts points up on the board.

Yet again that was their M.O. on Sunday. The defense forced a huge turnover deep in Miami territory when Carl Lawson burst through for a strip sack of Skylar Thompson with 9:13 to play. Quinnen Williams recovered the fumble and then produced a viral highlight when he tossed Tyreek Hill to the ground, rumbling his way to the five-yard line. The offense cashed in on a five-yard run by Breece Hall, one of three touchdowns for the Jets in the fourth quarter.

The Jets have outscored their opponents 58-20 in the fourth quarter this season. They lead the NFL in points scored and are second in point differential (+38) in the fourth quarter. They are first with five forced turnovers. Those are signs of a good team, something the Jets haven’t been in years.

Zach Wilson gives the Jets a quietly efficient performance

The Jets didn’t need Zach Wilson to play hero this week. They needed him to manage the game and play mistake-free football. And the second-year quarterback did exactly that.

Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes (66.7 percent) for 210 yards. He did not throw a touchdown pass but, more importantly, didn’t turn the ball over. He looked confident in delivering the ball, made good decisions, spread the ball around (eight players had at least one catch), and checked down when needed. It sounds simple but that’s the growth the Jets are looking for in the young gunslinger.

Of course, Wilson was involved in the biggest offensive play of the game, too. He hit a wide-open Breece Hall for the 79-yard catch and run in the first quarter. It was a well-designed play that was executed perfectly by all involved, including Wilson, who made no mistake on the throw.

Wilson was the hero leading two scoring drives in the fourth quarter in last week’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was efficient and effective in a less-splashy performance Sunday. And that’s perfectly OK with the Jets.

Defensive and offensive lines stand out in Jets’ victory against Dolphins

The Jets got standout performances from their linemen on each side of the ball Sunday.

New York had two sacks against the Dolphins but that doesn’t tell the whole story of how the linemen helped wreck the game. The Jets were credited with a whopping 16 QB hits, seven by Carl Lawson and five by John Franklin-Myers. Quinnen Williams was an absolute monster again, capping his big game with the fumble recovery in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t perfect, as the Jets did struggle against the run (137 yards; 5.3 yards per attempt). But the D-line played a major part in the win.

So, too, did the revamped offensive line. They had their best game as a unit this season. And did so with Duane Brown making his Jets debut at left tackle, despite reports that he’s playing with a torn rotator cuff, and Alijah Vera-Tucker starting at right tackle (his third different position in five games this season).

The O-line kept Zach Wilson clean. The QB was sacked twice but pressured only seven times. And they opened lanes in the running game as the Jets rumbled for a season-high 135 yards.