Drake Maye leads Patriots to first playoff berth with comeback win
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The New England Patriots bounced right back to winning after ending their 10-game winning streak last week, and it was in come-from-behind fashion.
The Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens 28-24 on the road, increasing the score to 12-3 and getting their ticket to the play-offs.
Meanwhile, the Ravens’ playoff hopes were further diminished after the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Detroit Lions earlier Sunday. Baltimore is currently 7-8, two games out of the AFC North, meaning they must win and Pittsburgh must lose, including the Week 18 matchup between the two rivals.
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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots throws a pass against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on December 21, 2025. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The big story to come out of this was that Lamar Jackson was unable to play all four quarters after suffering a back injury in the second quarter, ultimately taking him out of the game.
The injury occurred on a running play in which Jackson caught a Patriots defender’s knee in the side. He immediately grimaced in pain and walked off the field as Tyler Huntley took over.
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When the Ravens went into the second half, Huntley was still under center and Jackson was nowhere to be seen. He was eliminated and the Ravens, with their playoff hopes in the balance, had to rely on Huntley to get the job done.
Derrick Henry scored his second goal at the beginning of the fourth quarter to make the game 24-13.
But Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense weren’t going to start a losing streak.
Maye led a seven-play drive with a 37-yard score, going 73 yards on a field goal bomb by Kyle Williams. Not only did they add six points to the tally, they also looked to cut Baltimore’s lead to three points, which they did with a successful two-point conversion.
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before his game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
New England’s defense came up clutch on the next drive, forcing Maye to return a punt to get the ball right back. Then, nine plays and 89 yards later, Rhamondre Stevenson, who had to shoulder most of the workload at running back after TreVeyon Henderson left with an injury during the game, hit a 21-yard run for a 28-24 lead.
The Ravens still had just under two minutes left in the game, but Zay Flowers, who had a big game with seven catches for 84 yards and a rushing score, fumbled after catching a short pass and the Patriots recovered.
From there, Maye iced the victory with a perfect read option, keeping the ball to himself and advancing 16 yards for the first time, managing to slide and take a knee off the clock before reaching the end zone.
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In the box score, Jackson was 7-of-10 passing for 101 yards with just seven yards before exiting. Huntley went 9-of-10 for 65 yards, while Henry finished with 18 carries for 128 yards and two scores, including the first touchdown of the game.
For New England, Maye was once again legit, going 31-of-44 for 380 yards with 26 yards rushing, two touchdown passes and one interception. Stefon Diggs may not have reached the end zone like Williams and Hunter Henry, but he led the game with 138 receiving yards on nine receptions. Mack Hollins also contributed 69 yards on seven catches.
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