Studs, duds following NY Jets win over the Dolphins in Week 5

The NY Jets won again. They have a winning record for the first time in five years. Zach Wilson is 2-0 as a starting quarterback this year.

Things are going well for the green and white for the first time in a long time. Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst performers from this week’s 40-17 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Breece Hall, RB, NY Jets - STUD

Breece Hall had his breakout performance on Sunday. Hall finished with 97 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards for a total of 197 all-purpose yards. He had one rushing touchdown and was yards away on two separate plays that would have given him three total touchdowns. It was an overall monster game from the rookie.

Hall made the "don’t draft running backs high" crowd look foolish on Sunday as he showed exactly what the Jets were looking for when they took him in the second round this past spring.

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, NY Jets - STUD

Alijah Vera-Tucker has done everything the Jets have asked for and then some so far this season. With the offensive line looking different on a week-to-week basis, Vera-Tucker has now played three different offensive line positions over the past three weeks and excelled at all of them.

Vera-Tucker started the year at right guard, moved to left tackle last week, and moved to right tackle once Duane Brown came off the injured reserve. In 56 snaps, Vera-Tucker did not allow a QB sack, hit, or hurry. He had never played right tackle in a game before then.

Vera-Tucker finished with a 79.2 Pro Football Focus grade.

Carl Lawson, EDGE, NY Jets - STUD

Carl Lawson finished with seven QB hits, which is a new Jets franchise record, and although he only had one sack, it was a big one. Lawson’s strip-sack in the fourth quarter set up a Jets touchdown to extend their lead to 16.

Lawson was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded Jets player with a 92.5 grade.

Coaching/Run Defense - DUD

Only one dud this week as the one thing the Jets really struggled with in this game was the run defense and defensive game plan with a third-string rookie quarterback under center.

Once Teddy Bridgewater went out and Skylar Thompson came in, the Dolphins’ game plan completely changed. They didn't push the ball down the field much, and a lot of their success came off of running and gadget plays (and pass interference calls).

Even with the Jets knowing this, there was simply too much space for the Dolphins' playmakers. It felt like there was a solid four to five yards for them to run before contact.

Early in the game, it seemed like the Jets were going to run away with it when they led 19-7, but they allowed the Dolphins to score on each side of the half and bring it to 19-17. If it wasn’t for a missed field goal by Jason Sanders, who knows what the outcome of this game would have been?

Overall

The Jets are above .500 and the young players are the reason for that. That is undoubtedly the most important thing for the Jets to prove this year and so far they are doing that. 

The Jets will face a tough test next week when they go on the road to play the Green Bay Packers. Can they keep the good times rolling?