4 Takeaways From the Patriots' Win Over the Ravens

[ad_1] There’s so little separation on the high of the AFC standings {that a} recreation like Sunday night time’s finally ends up being enormous. The Ravens’ skinny playoff hopes are actually subsequent to nil, and the Patriots lastly clinched a playoff berth whereas maintaining their top-seed goals alive.

Listed below are my high takeaways from New England's 28-24 comeback win over Baltimore.

1. Drake Maye rallies the Patriots again for an additional win It regarded like a foul highway loss to a backup quarterback, one that may impression New England's seeding and even put its AFC East lead in jeopardy.

Down 24-13 within the fourth quarter, Drake Maye guided the Pats to 2 touchdowns in a span of seven minutes, with operating again Rhamondre Stevenson’s 21-yard run giving them the lead with 2:07 left.

Maye’s finest play was a fourth-and-2 conversion close to midfield on the ultimate drive — a brief cross to huge receiver Stefon Diggs that become a 21-yard achieve that put the offense in vary for no less than a tying discipline purpose. Stevenson took care of the remainder, getting extra on his landing run than he’d had all recreation.

Maye completed with 380 passing yards — he’d but to high 294 in his two-year NFL profession — with a pair of landing passes to offset two turnovers. New England’s fourth-quarter surge got here in a recreation the place Lamar Jackson left with a again damage simply earlier than halftime. Its protection even got here by with the dagger on the finish, forcing a fumble from Baltimore huge receiver Zay Flowers within the closing two minutes to thwart any last-ditch comeback hopes.

The Pats are within the playoffs for the primary time since 2021. (Photograph by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Pictures)

2. The highest of the AFC continues to be wide-open The seven AFC groups that may make the playoffs are almost set, but it surely’s anyone’s guess how the seeding in the end settles, as one recreation or much less separates first and second place in three divisions.

Coming into Sunday night time’s recreation, Denver was the one AFC group to clinch a playoff spot, regardless of six groups having already gained 10 video games. Jacksonville’s upset of the Broncos makes it much more of a logjam — the Broncos are a recreation up on the Chargers within the West, the Jaguars are a recreation up on the Texans within the South, and the Patriots are nonetheless only a recreation up on the Payments within the East following Sunday’s win.

|| NFL Playoff Image: 4 groups clinch spots in Week 16

That’s lots to unfold within the closing two weeks of the season, and solely the Broncos and Chargers go head-to-head, muddling the playoff scenario much more. A Colts loss on Monday towards the 49ers would put the Payments and Jaguars within the playoffs, formally.

A single recreation separates the primary and fifth groups within the AFC, so a single loss within the closing two weeks might be the distinction between a first-round bye and occurring the highway as a wild card.

The AFC is up for grabs, together with the highest seed after the Broncos misplaced to the Jaguars in Week 16. (Photograph by Justin Edmonds/Getty Pictures)

3. Pats OC Josh McDaniels deserves credit score, too Mike Vrabel must be within the dialog for Coach of the 12 months for the success he’s had in his first season in New England. However McDaniels has had fairly a resurrection of his personal, excelling within the improvement of Drake Maye after a 12 months out of the league.

Throughout Maye’s rookie marketing campaign final 12 months, the Patriots had been thirtieth in scoring, thirty first in complete offense, thirty second in passing, twenty ninth on third downs. This 12 months? They went into the weekend seventh in scoring, sixth in complete offense, sixth in passing and fifth on third downs. It’s a exceptional one-year turnaround, and McDaniels is central to that progress.

He’s solely 49, and it’s attainable he’s only a nice coordinator and never an NFL head coach, particularly given his 20-33 mark over 4 seasons throughout two underwhelming stops. What’s humorous is, 49 is comparatively previous in right this moment’s world of younger offensive gurus — and he’d be within the older half of head coaches if he received one other shot.

Josh McDaniels may not be head teaching materials, however he certain can coordinate an offense. (Photograph by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Pictures)

4. What occurred to Isaiah Probably? Keep in mind when the Ravens had been going to commerce away Mark Andrews as a result of Probably was their future at tight finish? He'd registered 11 landing catches and 888 receving yards over the earlier two seasons. However he’s nearly disappeared this season, posting a mere 22 catches for 248 yards and one landing.

Baltimore took the step of extending the 30-year-old Andrews, who's logged no less than 5 landing catches in seven straight seasons, with a $39 million deal over three years. A 12 months in the past, the Ravens had 18 landing catches by tight ends, simply essentially the most within the NFL. This 12 months, they've an bizarre eight scores.

Probably missed the beginning of the season with a damaged bone in his foot, however he hasn’t been the identical in 2025. He had no targets final week in a shutout win over the Bengals, and he had none within the first three quarters Sunday. Spotrac initiatives a market worth of $10 million a 12 months in free company — he’s nonetheless solely 25 and his previous manufacturing may very nicely make him a coveted goal for different groups. He simply hasn’t proven a lot of something this season to make a case for himself.

The Ravens' once-explosive offense is gone, and promising tight finish Isaiah Probably has departed with it. (Photograph by Michael Owens/Getty Pictures)

4 ½. New England higher not overlook that run recreation The Patriots performed the second half with out rookie operating again TreVeyon Henderson, who sustained a head damage, however they barely had any operating recreation Sunday towards Baltimore till the ultimate three minutes.

Stevenson’s 21-yard run put the Pats forward, however that they had 33 dashing yards for the sport earlier than he broke free. They lean on Maye aplenty when the run recreation is prospering, but it surely’s lots to placed on a younger quarterback to win strictly along with his arm. Absolutely, when the playoffs start, they’ll want a steadiness they didn't have Sunday in Baltimore.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade masking the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Instances and The Athletic. You'll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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