Drake Maye Wows Fans, Patriots Beat Ravens After Lamar Injury to Clinch Playoff Spot

The New England Patriots, led by quarterback Drake Maye, mounted a comeback to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 28–24 and clinch a playoff spot on the road Sunday after Lamar Jackson exited with an injury.

An impressive fourth quarter on both sides of the ball secured the win for New England, highlighted by a game-sealing forced fumble on Zay Flowers. 

The victory improved the Patriots to 12–3 and a perfect 7–0 on the road, extending their lead in the AFC East over the Buffalo Bills (11–4).

Ravens starter Lamar Jackson was ruled out with a back injury after leaving the game with less than two minutes remaining in the first half and was replaced by sixth-year quarterback Tyler Huntley.

Maye finished with 380 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while completing 31-of-44 passes. He connected with Kyle Williams and Hunter Henry for scores, while Rhamondre Stevenson added a rushing touchdown.

Fans took to social media to react to Maye's incredible comeback performance, celebrating the Patriots clinching a playoff spot and returning to the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Before exiting, Jackson threw for 101 yards on 7-of-10 passing. Huntley completed 9-of-10 passes for 65 yards as Baltimore leaned heavily on the run game. Derrick Henry powered the offense with 128 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and Flowers added a rushing score in the loss.

Despite dropping to 7–8, Baltimore still has a path to winning the AFC North. Slim, but a path nonetheless. Their path opens up if the Pittsburgh Steelers (9–6) lose their next two games, including a pivotal Week 18 matchup against the Ravens. Pittsburgh currently holds a 1–0 season-series advantage over Baltimore.

At the moment, Baltimore sits outside of the playoff picture, ranked No. 9 in the AFC and out of a Wild Card spot.

In Week 17, the Ravens will travel to face the Green Bay Packers before hosting the Steelers in the regular-season finale. New England, meanwhile, will hit the road to face the New York Jets in Week 17 before closing the season at home against Miami.