The New England Patriots came back in the fourth quarter to beat the Baltimore Ravens 28-24 on Sunday Night Football. This was their first playoff spot since 2021. Drake Maye threw for a career-high 380 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, leading New England (12-3) to a win over a tough Ravens team that is now 7-8. Baltimore is now two games behind Pittsburgh, the AFC North leader, with only two games left to play.
Maye threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams and then a two-point conversion to Rhamondre Stevenson, bringing the score to 24-13 with 9:01 left in the game. The Patriots forced the Ravens to punt, then marched 89 yards down the field, ending with Stevenson’s 21-yard touchdown run with 2:07 left to win the game. When Zay Flowers fumbled on Baltimore’s last drive, their hopes of coming back were over.
Lamar Jackson left the game early in the second quarter because of a back injury, which forced Tyler Huntley to come in. Huntley helped Baltimore come back with important touchdowns, like Flowers’ 18-yard end-around touchdown. Derrick Henry ran for a 21-yard touchdown in the first quarter and a 2-yard touchdown later, but that wasn’t enough. Maye’s calmness under pressure, as he avoided Baltimore’s late pass rush, made him a strong candidate for MVP.
The 11-3 Patriots have a shocking turnaround, as they win the AFC East and secure a spot in the playoffs. Baltimore’s hopes of making the playoffs are fading. They need to win their last two games against Green Bay and Pittsburgh and hope that the Steelers lose to Cleveland in Week 17. This high-stakes game at M&T Bank Stadium kept NFL fans on the edge of their seats.
