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The New England Patriots returned to winning ways after a 10-game hitting streak last week, and it was in comeback fashion.
The Patriots beat the Baltimore Ravens, 28-24, on their way to improving to 12-3 and punching their ticket to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Ravens’ playoff hopes continued to dwindle following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Detroit Lions earlier on Sunday. Baltimore now sits two games out of the AFC North lead at 7-8, meaning it will need a win and a loss for Pittsburgh, including a Week 18 matchup between the two rivals.
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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots passes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 21. 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The big story that came out of this one was Lamar Jackson not being able to play all four quarters after injuring his back in the second quarter, which ultimately took him out of the game.
The injury occurred on a running play, where Jackson appeared to grab the Patriots quarterback’s knee in the side. He was soon writhing in pain and left the field, with Tyler Huntley taking over.
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When the Ravens came out in the second half, Huntley was still in the middle and Jackson was nowhere to be seen. He was ruled out and the Ravens, with their playoff hopes remaining, had to trust Huntley to get the job done.
Things were looking good this way, as Derrick Henry scored his second touchdown early in the fourth quarter to make the game 24-13.
But Drake Maye and the Patriots offense wouldn’t start losing.
Maye led a seven-play drive, going 73 yards on a Kyle Williams bomb down the field for a 37-yard score. Not only did they add six points to the tally, but they wanted to cut Baltimore down by three points and did so with a successful two point conversion.
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
New England’s defense fumbled on the next drive, forcing a punt that got Maye the ball back. Then, nine plays and 89 yards later, Rhamondre Stevenson, who had to handle most of the running back work after TreVeyon Henderson left with an injury midway through the game, exploded for a 21-yard run to take a 28-24 lead.
There were less than two minutes left for the Ravens, 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 made the win with a great read option, keeping the ball to himself and going 16 yards for the first time, making sure to slide before reaching the end zone to kneel out of the clock.
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In the box score, Jackson was 7-of-10 passing for 101 yards with just seven rushing yards before exiting. Huntley was 9-of-10 for 65 yards, while Henry finished with 18 carries for 128 yards and his two scores, including the game’s first touchdown.
In New England, Maye was legitimate again, going 31-of-44 for 380 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception, while rushing for 26 yards. Stefon Diggs may not have been in 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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