ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Mike White twice came back from crushing hits, but he couldn’t lead the Jets back against Buffalo.
The Jets fell, 20-12, to the Bills on a rainy and windy Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.
It was a sloppy game for the Jets. They fumbled twice. Michael Carter had a huge giveaway in the fourth quarter with the Jets approaching the red zone. The Jets also were hurt by a huge mental mistake by the normally cerebral C.J. Mosley. He fell for a hard count and was flagged for encroachment on 4th-and-1 that set up Buffalo’s first touchdown.
The Jets started their final drive on their 21 with 46 seconds left and one timeout remaining. White threw incomplete on all four downs.
This was the first two-game losing streak of the season for the Jets (7-6). They have four games left and remained in the seventh spot in the AFC East playoff race as of the end of the 1 p.m. games.
All of the Bills’ scoring came after the Jets’ lost Quinnen Williams to a calf injury. He left in the second quarter after suffering a non-contact injury with the game scoreless. Williams, who is playing at a Pro Bowl level, had two sacks in the game, his 10th and 11th this season.
White left the game for two plays after getting drilled in the chest in the first half. He went to the locker room after a hard hit to his ribs by Matt Milano in the third quarter and returned for the start of the fourth.
The gutsy White finished the game 27-for-44 for 268 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Joe Flacco was 1-for-3 for 1 yard and one fumble.
Rookie running back Zonovan Knight had 17 carries for 71 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
Bills QB Josh Allen threw for 147 yards and had a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown.
The Jets, who trailed 7-0 at halftime, tied the game on their first drive of the third quarter. White made some big throws, converting on a third-and-10 and third-and-12. Knight ran it in from 13 yards out.
The Bills answered on their next possession. The Jets gave up a 32-yard pass play to Stefon Diggs on second down. Two plays later, Michael Carter II was flagged for an 18-yard pass interference penalty.
Allen ended the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to make it 17-7.
On the next series, the Jets lost the football after White exited and was replaced by Flacco. He was sacked by Greg Rousseau and fumbled on the first play. DaQuan Jones recovered at the Jets’ 44. The Bills turned that into a Tyler Bass 38-yard field goal.
Buffalo went ahead 20-7 on a Bass 49-yard field goal on its next possession.
The Jets cut it to 20-9 after Jermaine Johnson blocked Sam Martin’s punt for a safety. They were moving the ball on the ensuing possession, but Carter fumbled on second-and-2 from the Bills '28. Milano recovered on the 22.
A Greg Zuerlein field goal with 1:18 left made it a one-score game. The Jets had all their timeouts left so they decided not to try an onside kick.
The Bills threw incomplete on first down. Buffalo ran the next two downs, but couldn’t get the first down, giving the Jets one last shot. But White was out of comebacks.
