Drake Maye and Co. rallied from a double-digit deficit to secure a spot in the postseason



The New England Patriots have added yet another second-half rally to what has already been a chaotic Week 16 in the NFL. Drake Maye's club erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit compiled by the Baltimore Ravens and escaped M&T Bank Stadium with a 28-24 victory. Not only does the win push Mike Vrabel and Co. to 12-3 on the season, but it clinches the franchise a playoff berth.

Out of the gate, it looked as if the Ravens were going to run away with this prime-time contest. They began the night with a rather smooth 65-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a Derrick Henry rushing score, his first of two touchdowns on the ground. After that, Marlon Humphrey picked off Maye during New England's opening possession of the night after marching into the red zone.

It was at that juncture that the first momentum shift in the game occurred with Henry fumbling during Baltimore's second possession, which sparked a 10-0 run by the Patriots. The two sides entered halftime knotted at 10 apiece, but the key development in the closing minutes of the second quarter was Lamar Jackson departing with a back injury. The two-time NFL MVP would not return to the game, which led to Tyler Huntley slotting in under center the rest of the way.

For the bulk of the second half, Huntley was answering the bell and even piled up back-to-back touchdown drives to give Baltimore the 24-13 lead early in the fourth quarter. However, that's when Maye and the offense flipped a switch, starting with a 37-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams to cut into the deficit. They followed that up with another touchdown drive, this time with Rhamondre Stevenson weaving his way in for the 21-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winner.

This was Maye's first-career game with at least 300 yards passing and his first fourth-quarter comeback win. His go-to target proved to be Stefon Diggs, who finished his night with 138 yards on nine catches. Henry was the catalyst on the Baltimore side of things offensively, particularly after Jackson departed. The veteran back had 128 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and that first-half fumble.

For more on how this game unfolded, check out our takeaways below.

Lamar Jackson exits with back injury
The complexion of this game changed when Lamar Jackson exited the game with a back injury. The former league MVP logged a 3-yard rush just after the two-minute warning and was noticeably in discomfort after that. Baltimore ran one more play before calling a timeout with 1:16 to go in the half, and that's when Jackson went to the sideline. The broadcast showed him wincing as trainers initially evaluated him on the sideline before exiting to the locker room, leaving Snoop Huntley to finish out the half. Jackson was initially listed as questionable before being downgraded to out.

Jackson was 7 of 10 passing for 101 yards to go along with 7 yards rushing before leaving with the injury.

Stefon Diggs shines in prime time
The catalyst in the comeback for New England can be found in Stefon Diggs. The veteran receiver had been quiet over the past few games, but came alive in Week 16, catching nine of his 10 targets for 138 yards. In those gotta-have-it moments, it was Diggs that Drake Maye was targeting. Most notably, the Patriots kept the offense on the field for a fourth-and-2 situation from the Baltimore 48-yard line and trailing by a field goal. It was at that moment that Maye found Diggs for a 21-yard gain that moved the sticks and put New England on the doorstep of the red zone to either tie the game with a field goal or take the lead with a touchdown.

Just two plays after that Diggs conversion, Stevenson galloped in for the go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.

Drake Maye clutch in the fourth quarter
It wasn't a perfect night for Drake Maye, who had two turnovers in the contest. That said, when he needed to turn it on, the second-year quarterback delivered. In the fourth quarter specifically, Maye was masterful, completing 12 of his 14 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. That score thrust New England back into the contest, uncorking a 37-yard touchdown to Kyle Williams to begin the comeback pursuit and make it a one-score game.

Maye also did damage with his legs, icing the game with a 16-yard scramble for a first down, where he wisely slid to set up the final knees to run out the clock.

Ill-timed turnovers crushed Baltimore
The Ravens had opportunities to run away with this game at several points, but turnovers helped keep the Patriots within range of a comeback. In the first half, the game was looking like it was going to go sideways after Baltimore's opening touchdown drive and the defense's subsequent interception of Maye. However, Derrick Henry gave the momentum back to New England after fumbling for the first time since Week 3 on a second-down carry from the Patriots' 37-yard line. That helped spark a touchdown drive for New England to get them back in the game.

After the Patriots clawed back to take a 28-24 lead, the Ravens had an opportunity to drive down the field for a game-winning touchdown of their own. They were north of the two-minute warning and possessed all of their timeouts, so they were armed to spoil the comeback. However, on the first play coming out of the two-minute warning, Zay Flowers had the ball punched out by Patriots linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson.

New England recovered the fumble and erased any chance of Baltimore punching back as they went on to burn the clock.

Playoff implications
The Patriots have clinched their playoff spot, but still have work to do to secure the AFC East title over the next two weeks. They will visit the New York Jets in Week 17 and host the Miami Dolphins in the regular-season finale in Week 18. As for the Ravens, they saw their playoff dreams take a serious hit with this loss. Baltimore cannot get in as a wild card entry, meaning their only path is via the AFC North title. To leapfrog over the Steelers for the division, the Ravens need to win out, and Pittsburgh needs to lose out.

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Posted by Temmy
Mon, December 22, 2025 2:23pm