The New England Patriots secured a 28-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football at M&T Bank Stadium, clinching a return to the postseason for the first time since 2021. The victory improved the Patriots’ record to 12-3 and kept them tied for the best record in the AFC with two games left in the regular season.
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye played a central role in the comeback, recording his first career 300-yard passing game and leading two fourth-quarter touchdown drives after trailing by 11 points. Maye finished with 380 passing yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and added 25 rushing yards. He was under pressure throughout the night but managed to deliver key throws late in the game.
“Just thought gritty. He got hit,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of Maye. “It was great for him to have success. I’m happy for him, especially executing there at the end of the game.”
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs also had a standout performance, catching nine passes for 138 yards—his fourth game this season with over 100 receiving yards. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels noted that Diggs has been facing increased defensive attention recently but continues to find ways to contribute.
On defense, New England forced two fumbles at crucial moments. One late turnover helped secure the win when safety Dell Pettus and outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson combined to strip Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, with cornerback Marcus Jones recovering.
Injuries were a concern for both teams during the game. Several Patriots players left due to injuries—including running back TreVeyon Henderson (head), defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (hamstring), right tackle Morgan Moses (knee), nose tackle Khyiris Tonga (foot), and cornerback Charles Woods (ankle). Some returned later; others did not.
Patriots receivers focused on beating man coverage against a Ravens defense ranked eighth in man coverage rate this season. Maye completed nine of thirteen passes for 131 yards and a touchdown against these schemes.
The offensive line struggled due to injuries, resulting in Maye being pressured on more than 43 percent of his drop-backs according to NextGen Stats. Despite this, New England’s run blocking allowed running back Rhamondre Stevenson to score a decisive 21-yard touchdown run.
Defensively, New England matched up against Ravens running back Derrick Henry by using base personnel on thirty snaps—a season high—to counter Baltimore’s heavy formations. The Patriots forced Henry to fumble once but overall allowed Baltimore positive production on rushing plays.
Special teams saw mixed results as well: New England attempted its first fake punt of the year without success but showed improvement in kickoff coverage toward game’s end.
With playoff qualification secured under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel, focus now shifts toward clinching their division and improving playoff seeding over their final two games.
