Patriots vs Ravens Takeaways: Drake Maye Under Fire

Just when you thought the New England Patriots were out, they pulled you back in.

Trailing 24-13 to the Baltimore Ravens with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of their Week 16 matchup at M&T Bank Stadium, the Pats completed the comeback by scoring 15 unanswered points in the game’s waning moments. New England’s late-game heroics from quarterback Drake Maye, receiver Stefon Diggs, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson put them back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

Maye completed 31-of-44-passes for a career-best 380 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, helping to bolster his case to become this season’s NFL MVP. Conversely, the Ravens quarterback tandem of Lamar Jackson — who left the game in the second quarter with a back injury and did not return — and backup Tyler Huntley combined for 16-of-20 passing completions for 159 yards. However, it was Chaisson’s on-field savvy which would ultimately deliver the 28-24 win over Baltimore.

The victory over the Ravens in Week 16 gave the Patriots their 12th win of the season and their 14th 12-win season in team history. It also improved the Pats to a 7-0 road record. New England remains the only team in 2025 that is undefeated on the road.

In that regard, here are five key takeaways from an exciting night in the Charm City for the Patriots.

Call it a Comeback

When New England’s chances for earning their 12th win over the season appeared to be at their lowest, Maye and the Pats proved that winners always want the ball with the game on the line. In spite of an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit, Maye led two consecutive scoring drives — the first culminating in a 37-yard scoring strike to rookie receiver Kyle Williams, as well as a two-point conversion pass to Stevenson which cut Baltimore’s lead to three points with 9:01 to play.

After New England’s defense forced a punt, the Patriots drove 89 yards for the winning touchdown. The winning score came on a 21-yard rush by Stevenson with 2:07 left, putting the Pats on top by four points.

Still, as previously mentioned, Chaisson landed the knockout blow by stripping Ravens’ receiver Zay Flowers of the football with 1:57 remaining in the game, which was recovered by Pats’ cornerback Marcus Jones to secure the victory. New England’s come-from-behind victory demonstrated the resilience and mettle of a team which has proven itself capable of shaking the adversity created by last week’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.

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Injuries Galore

To say that the Patriots were bitten by the injury bug during the first half of their Week 16 matchup with Ravens may be an understatement. At the start of the second half, the following players had all suffered an injury, requiring a designation by the team. Right tackle Morgan Moses (knee), defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (hamstring), offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee), running back TreVeyon Henderson (head), cornerback Charles Woods (ankle), and interior defenisve lineman Khyiris Tonga (foot) had fallen victim to physical impairment.

While Farmer and Henderson were quickly ruled out, Moses, Woods and Tonga would remain questionable for portions of the game — with the latter two eventually being ruled out. Receiver DeMario Douglas joined the “questionable” ranks after being evaluated for a hamstring injury in the third quarter. Lastly, receiver Kayshon Boutte left the game in the fourth quarter to be evaluated for a head injury.

Needless to say, the Patriots’ extensive list of injured players will be under close watch as the team begins its preparations for Week 17.