The New York Jets grinded their way to a fourth straight victory Sunday, earning a 16-9 win against the Denver Bronco to improve to 5-2 this season. We’ll now have our Jets takeaways from their Week 7 win against the Broncos.

“We knew it was going to be grimy,” quarterback Zach Wilson said postgame.

And it was.

A defensive battle was won by the visiting Jets, who had been shut out in each of their past two visits to the Mile High City. They overcame three significant injuries, a slog on offense and the fact that one of their key players (wide receiver Elijah Moore) remained in New York after asking for a trade last week.

Their fifth win is already one more than the Jets had last season, Robert Saleh’s first as head coach. There’s something special about this team, for sure.

That said, let’s check out the Jets takeaways from a Week 7 win against the Broncos.

1. Injuries loom over Jets' win against Broncos

The Jets managed to win the battle Sunday, but how they’ll fare the rest of the war this season remains to be seen. Injuries to three starters on offense, two of which could be long term, is a brutal blow for a team on the rise.

Running back Breece Hall sustained damage to his ACL. Robert Saleh said the “original prognosis is not good,” and it has since been confirmed. That’s bad news for the Jets. The rookie has been their best player on offense, a home run hitter every time he touches the ball, both as a runner and receiver. He showed that before being hurt Sunday, exploding for a 62-yard touchdown.

Alijah Vera-Tucker went down with an elbow injury and will be evaluated Monday. Vera-Tucker has been terrific, starting at three different spots on the offensive line this season. If he’s out for any length of time, that’s a major blow for New York.

Veteran receiver Corey Davis has a knee injury. Though he didn’t return after leaving in the first half, Davis said postgame that the injury is not serious.

2. Sauce Gardner is elite

Sauce Gardner just keeps getting better by the week. The rookie corner is, indeed, just “scratching the surface” of how great he can be, to use coach Robert Saleh’s go-to phrase.

Gardner was an absolute force against the Broncos. He had an NFL career-high 10 tackles, nine solo. More importantly, he broke up three passes. Twice he knocked the ball away from Denver receiver Courtland Sutton in the end zone, including on a fourth down pass with two minutes to play in the fourth quarter and the Jets up by seven.

“He is elite, man,” fellow corner D.J. Reed said.

Gardner has 12 passes defended already this season and keeps shutting down one stud receiver after another. He and Reed (eight tackles, three pass breakups Sunday) are as good as any cornerback tandem in the NFL.

3. Jets win turnover battle again

A huge part of the Jets' success so far is their ability to create turnovers on defense and protect the ball on offense. They won the turnover battle (1-0) again Sunday, a distinct difference from a year ago.

Lamarcus Joyner had an interception, New York’s ninth in seven games. They had eight picks the entire 2021 season. Joyner has three interceptions and a fumble recovery already this season. Six other Jets have a pick.

On the other side of the ball, Zach Wilson and the offense did not turn the ball over for the third straight week.

That’s a winning formula in the NFL, one the Jets are finally beginning to master.

4. Good Zach Wilson, bad Zach Wilson

There was more than a bit of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Zach Wilson’s performance Sunday.

On the positive side, Wilson did not turn the ball over and led the Jets to four scoring drives, including three field goals after Breece Hall left the game with a knee injury. He also was an elusive target, often scrambling to avoid sacks against a fierce Denver pass rush. And most importantly, he displayed grit and leadership when three key players on offense went down, saying in the huddle that “it’s time to grow a pair.”

However, Wilson was fortunate not to have been picked off more than once. Several times, he wildly threw balls into dangerous areas after scrambles. He also was also not sharp, missing open receivers, usually too high or sometimes behind. There were too many three-and-outs in large part to Wilson’s lack of accuracy.

Wilson was 16-of-26 for 121 yards in the air. Last week he had 10 completions for 110 yards. That can’t continue. Especially with Hall sidelined, the Jets need Wilson to make plays and drive the offense, not simply be its caretaker.

5. Special teams are again special for Jets

The Jets got another great game from their special teams unit. Justin Hardee and Brandin Echols stood out in coverage, and the kickers played big roles in the victory.

Placekicker Greg Zuerlein nailed all three of his field goal attempts on a windy, rainy afternoon, including a 45-yarder. The 34-year-old has been excellent after missing a field goal and PAT against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. He is 13-for-15 on field goal tries this season — including 3-of-4 from 50 yards or more — and 16-of-17 on extra point attempts. He has been a difference maker for a team whose offense can struggle to reach the end zone.

And in a game where field position was so important, punter Braden Mann came through again. Mann averaged 54.8 yards on eight punts. Twice he landed punts inside the 20, including once at the 1-yard line. He also boomed a 72-yard punt in the fourth quarter, with a net of 52 yards.