New York Jets: takeaways from week 12

What we learned about the Jets:

1. The Jets are alive and well in the AFC wild-card race. With Sunday's 38-20 win over the Miami Dolphins, the Jets improved to 6-5 and moved into a tie for the two AFC wild-card spots with the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets are technically third in the race, ahead of only the Steelers, thanks to a head-to-head loss to the Texans and the Chiefs' superior AFC record (5-2 for Kansas City vs. 5-4 for the Jets). But being on the outside looking in due to tiebreakers is sure better than being 5-6 and having many more hurdles to clear.

2. The changeups worked. Normally placid head coach Todd Bowles lit into the Jets following last week's uninspired 24-17 loss to the Houston Texans. The Jets responded Sunday with their most complete game -- one in which the offense didn't turn the ball over while cornerback Marcus Williams (interception) and wide receiver Jeremy Kerley (58-yard punt return) helped set up touchdowns with big plays -- in six weeks. And quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who trimmed his trademark beard this week, threw for 277 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes while committing no turnovers for just the third time this year.

3. The big-play cornerback for the Jets is Marcus Williams, not Darrelle Revis. Some of that is a matter of reputation -- teams have spent most of the last nine seasons not throwing at Revis -- but Williams has proven to be a legitimate weapon. Williams was pressed into the lineup Sunday with Revis out due to a concussion and recorded his team-high fifth interception of the season to set up the Jets' first touchdown in a 38-20 rout of the Dolphins. The rest of the Jets combined have just six interceptions and 35 return yards -- 12 yards fewer than Williams, who suffered a knee injury during his return on Sunday and didn't re-enter the game. An extended absence for Williams would be a big blow to absorb for the Jets, who have nobody else with his nose for the ball in the secondary.

Etc.:

--CB Marcus Williams (knee) was injured while returning an interception in the first quarter of the Jets' 38-20 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. Williams picked off Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill at the Jets' 7-yard-line and returned it 21 yards to set up New York's first touchdown drive. But the Jets announced shortly thereafter he had suffered a knee injury and Williams did not return. Head coach Todd Bowles didn't have an update on Williams following the game. Williams' interception was his team-high fifth of the season. The rest of the Jets have just six interceptions combined.

--QB Ryan Fitzpatrick got back on track Sunday, when he threw for 277 yards and a season-high four touchdown passes in the Jets' 38-20 win over the Dolphins. Fitzpatrick was 22-of-37 and didn't throw an interception for just the third time in 11 games this season. He entered Sunday with five touchdown passes and four interceptions in his last four starts, though he played less than a quarter against the Oakland Raiders on Nov. 1 due to torn ligaments in his left thumb. Overall this year, Fitzpatrick has thrown for 2,476 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

--WR Devin Smith caught the first touchdown pass of his NFL career Sunday, when QB Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 16-yard touchdown strike to Smith in the second quarter of the Jets' 38-20 win over the Dolphins. It provided a bit of redemption for Smith, who dropped a potential long touchdown catch last week against the Houston Texans. Smith finished with two catches for 33 yards Sunday and has nine catches for 115 yards in eight games this season.