NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The New England Patriots got right back to winning ways after their 10-game streak was snapped last week, and it was in a come-from-behind fashion.
The Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 28-24, en route to improving to 12-3 and punching their ticket to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Ravens’ playoff hopes fell further after a Pittsburgh Steelers win over the Detroit Lions earlier Sunday. Baltimore is now two games out of the AFC North lead at 7-8, meaning they must win and have Pittsburgh lose, which includes a Week 18 matchup between the two rivals.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots throws the ball against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The big story coming out of this one was that Lamar Jackson was unable to play all four quarters after suffering a back injury in the second quarter, which ultimately knocked him out of the game.
The injury occurred on a running play where Jackson appeared to catch the knee of a Patriots defender in the side. He immediately winced in pain and came off the field with Tyler Huntley taking over.
BILLS STAR SLICES BROWNS’ DEFENSE WITH 44-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN
When the Ravens came out for the second half, Huntley was still under center and Jackson was nowhere to be seen. He was ruled out and the Ravens, with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, had to rely on Huntley to get the job done.
Things looked up in that regard when Derrick Henry scored his second touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter to make it a 24-13 game.
But Drake Maye and the Patriots’ offense wouldn’t start a losing streak.
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’s lead down to three points and did so with a successful two-point conversion.
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up prior to the game against the New England Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
New England’s defense buckled on the next drive, forcing a punt to give Maye the ball back. Then, nine plays and 89 yards later, Rhamondre Stevenson, who had to handle most of the running back workload after TreVeyon Henderson left with an injury during the game, broke off a 21-yard run to take the lead, 28-24.
There were still just under two minutes left for the Ravens to operate, 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 iced the win with a perfect read, keeping the ball to himself and going 16 yards for a first down, making sure to slide before reaching the end zone to kneel out of the clock.
Bundle FOX One and FOX Nation to stream the entire FOX Nation library plus live FOX News, Sports and Entertainment at the lowest price of the year. The offer ends on 4 January 2026. (Fox One; Fox Nation)
In the box score, Jackson was 7-of-10 passing for 101 yards with just seven rushing yards before leaving. 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.
For New England, Maye was legit once again, going 31-of-44 for 380 yards with two touchdown passes and an interception while rushing for 26 yards. Stefon Diggs may not have gotten into 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.
