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Patriots’ fake punt play backfired spectacularly against Ravens

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Dec 22, 2025 9:04 AM ET

The New England Patriots tried to get a little too tricky on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Patriots trailed 17-13 late in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Facing 4th-and-10 near midfield, New England lined up to punt.

What looked like an ordinary punt turned out to be a fake. The Patriots snapped the ball to linebacker Marte Mapu, who got swallowed up by the Ravens’ defense right at the line of scrimmage. Mapu also fumbled, with New England recovering it as the team turned it over on downs.

The Patriots fake punt cannot convert!

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The call was bizarre to say the least. Mapu ran right and had virtually no blockers when his team needed him to get at least 10 yards on the play.

Gifted with excellent field position, the Ravens extended their lead to 24-13 on the ensuing drive.

However, the Patriots did not let that one mistake define them. New England went ahead with two touchdowns of their own in the fourth quarter to steal a 28-24 win in Baltimore.

Drake Maye took his play to another level late as “MVP” chants were heard raining down from the road crowd. The Patriots quarterback went 31/44 for 380 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception. He got a lot of help from the concussion protocol-averse Stefon Diggs, who caught 9 passes for 138 yards in the contest.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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