3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 14 Loss vs. Bills

It's never easy to go on the road to take on the Buffalo Bills, especially in wintry weather conditions. But the New York Jets gave their AFC East rival a competitive fight on Sunday, even if they didn't end up victorious.

The Jets fell 20-12 to the Bills at Highmark Stadium, as they were unable to sweep the season series between the two teams. New York had previously defeated Buffalo 20-17 in Week 9 at MetLife Stadium.

Greg Zuerlein's 26-yard field goal cut the Bills' lead to eight points with 1 minute and 18 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, and Buffalo went three-and-out on its ensuing possession. However, New York turned the ball over on downs on its final drive, as four consecutive incomplete passes by quarterback Mike White ended its comeback bid.

Here are three takeaways from the Jets' Week 14 loss.

In his third consecutive start, White showed that he was willing to do anything to try to power New York to victory. In the process, the 27-year-old quarterback continued to prove that he's the right person to lead the Jets' offense the rest of the season.

White, who completed 27 of his 44 pass attempts for 268 yards, took a beating on Sunday, getting sacked three times and hit four additional times. He briefly exited in the third quarter due to a rib injury, but he returned to finish the game. However, he took an ambulance to a local hospital for a precautionary visit afterward.

"He's tough," New York head coach Robert Saleh said, per Jonah Bronstein of the Associated Press. "It showed everybody else more than what we already know with regards to how tough he is."

Saleh confirmed that White will remain the Jets' starting quarterback, assuming he's healthy enough to play, moving forward. It's the right decision, especially with the rest of the team rallying around him and appreciating his grittiness.

So even if White couldn't lead New York to a comeback win, he had another solid showing, especially early before getting knocked around by Buffalo's defensive front.

Most teams that travel to Buffalo and hold the Bills to 20 points and 232 total yards will have an opportunity to win. That's why the Jets had a chance to pull out a late victory on Sunday.

Buffalo has one of the best offenses in the NFL, but New York's defense has proven it's up for the challenge of facing that unit. In Week 9, the Bills scored only 17 points and committed two turnovers in a loss to the Jets.

Although New York's defense didn't have any takeaways this time, it sacked quarterback Josh Allen three times, with Quinnen Williams getting to him twice (before leaving due to a calf injury). Buffalo was also forced to punt seven times, including at the end of each of its first five possessions.

One of the primary reasons for the Jets' improved results this season has been the play of their defense. And as long as that unit continues to play like this (even against strong opponents), New York should play competitive games and likely win its fair share of them.

The Jets are no longer in a playoff position at the end of Week 14. By falling to 7-6, they're currently the first team out of the AFC wild-card hunt, as the Los Angeles Chargers (7-6) took over the No. 7 spot with a Sunday night win over the Miami Dolphins.

The New England Patriots, who play the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night, could improve to 7-6 as well, and they'd take over the No. 7 spot with a win. That would put New York in last place in the AFC East.

But Saleh remains confident the Jets are going to end the NFL's longest active playoff drought. They're looking to make it for the first time since the 2010 season.

"I think our team is good enough," Saleh said, per Randy Lange of the team's official site. "Obviously, it's week to week. But we've got a good football team."

New York needs to get back on track, though. It could do so over the next two weeks, when it has a pair of home matchups against teams with losing records: the Detroit Lions (6-7) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-8).