The Jets beat the Dolphins 40-17 on Sunday to improve to 3-2 this season. Here are some thoughts and observations from the game.

1. After the Jets lost the season opener to the Ravens, there was a lot of talk about how they are not the “same old Jets.” I basically wrote then that they needed to prove that and not just talk about it.

So far, they are doing it.

Be honest, there was a point in Sunday’s game when you started thinking they would blow the game and it would be another brutal loss. Maybe it was when Miami cut the score to 19-17. Maybe it was when the Jets failed to convert on fourth-and-1. It felt dicey there late in the third quarter.

Then, the Jets did what they have rarely done in the last decade – they stepped on the Dolphins’ throats in the fourth quarter and pulled away to win the game.

It was an uncharacteristic win for a Jets franchise that has seen plenty of losses in the fourth quarter. So, let’s say that is one hurdle cleared on the way to no longer being the “same old Jets.”

Here is the next one: Don’t let 3-2 become 5-12. The Jets are at a crossroads they have not been at in a few years, but one that was familiar in the Todd Bowles era. In 2017, the Jets started 3-2, but then went 2-9 the rest of the season to finish 5-11. In 2018, the Jets started 3-3 and then won one more game the rest of the season to go 4-12.

October optimism became December depression in both of those seasons.

These Jets can’t let that happen. No one is expecting them to go 13-4 or 12-5, but if they can turn this decent start to the season into a 9-8 season or 10-7, now they’ve taken a major step forward in turning this franchise around, even if they fall short of the playoffs. But if they wind up at 5-12 or 6-11 after getting three wins in the first five games of a difficult schedule, the questions will remain about whether they have actually turned the corner.

2. I wrote about Zach Wilson’s non-descript day Sunday and how it reminded me of something Robert Saleh said back in June about the Jets not needing Wilson to be Tom Brady this year. You got the feeling toward the end of last year and entering this year that the Jets would be happy to have Wilson be a game manager and just not turn the ball over. They need strong defense and a good running game to make that work and that is what they got Sunday.

But is winning with Wilson as a supporting cast member sustainable?

Probably not in the long run. The Jets defense and rushing attack is not good enough to do that. This is not 2009 when the Jets had the No. 1 rushing offense and No. 1 overall defense and could hide Mark Sanchez at times. The Jets are not as good as that team. There are going to be games when they need Wilson to carry them. The first one could come as soon as Sunday at Lambeau Field against an angry Packers team. It is probably too much to say Wilson needs to match Aaron Rodgers, but the Jets are going to need a passing attack to keep up with the Packers. They can’t count on scoring five rushing touchdowns every week.

3. The Jets had a whopping 16 quarterback hits on Sunday on Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson. The pass rush was ferocious and this is exactly what the Jets envisioned for this group. They only had two sacks, but they affected the quarterback all day long. Sauce Gardner’s interception was a direct result of John Franklin-Myers getting to Thompson. The Jets defensive line has been quieter than expected early in this season but they were quite loud on Sunday. Carl Lawson had seven quarterback hits, a remarkable number. He looks unstoppable out there and Quinnen Williams is playing the best football of his career. The Jets defense could be very good if the line can continue to play like this.

4. In all the discussion about Alijah Vera-Tucker and his impressive versatility to play three different positions on the line this season, one aspect of the offensive line shuffle has been lost. The Jets coaches love Nate Herbig and what he brings at right guard. They feel that he brings a nastiness and toughness to the line that they need. So, the decision to have Vera-Tucker move to left tackle and right tackle has as much to do with Herbig as it does with Vera-Tucker. The Jets have said they want their “best five” out there and clearly they think Herbig is a better option than having Conor McDermott play tackle. Herbig was claimed off waivers from the Eagles in May and it is turning out to be one of those under the radar moves that is really paying off.

The Jets averaged 5.8 yards per play in the game, a full yard more than the Dolphins.

Safety Will Parks got 23 snaps as the Jets deployed a “big nickel” defense with three safeties to start the game.

This one is easy. Breece Hall was a beast with 197 total yards from scrimmage. Hall looks like a stud five games into his career.