After a subpar performance in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills, a loss that snapped his team’s 10-game winning streak, New England Patriots sophomore quarterback Drake Maye reannounced his presence in the NFL’s MVP race. The 23-year-old, who was taken by the Patriots with the No. 3 overall draft pick last year, topped 300 yards passing for the first time in his young career.
In fact, Maye threw for 380 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in a prime-time Sunday Night Football matchup, with 138 of those yards from nine completions in 10 attempts to veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Maye also connected with Mack Hollins seven times for 69 yards, and hit rookie pass catcher Kyle Williams twice for 46 yards including a spectacular, 37-yard touchdown throw with 9:01 to go in the game and New England trailing 24-13.
More Great News For Maye, Patriots
A two-point conversion brought the Patriots to within three, and a nine-play drive culminating in a 27-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson with 2:07 remaining put the Patriots ahead to stay at 28-24.
The fourth-quarter comeback was the first of Maye’s career, in just his 27th NFL start.
The victory stretched New England’s undefeated road record to 7-0. Only two Patriots teams in franchise history have started 7-0 on the road â in 2007 when New England won their first 18 regular and postseason games before losing in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, and again in 2016. The Patriots finished 14-2 and won the Super Bowl in that season.
But none of that was even the best news to reach the Patriots in the aftermath of their inspiring win on Sunday night.
Patriots Clinch Playoff Berth
With the come-from-behind victory, the Patriots nailed down the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2021 â the only season until this one that the Patriots have even managed a winning record since the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
In 2021, behind rookie quarterback Mac Jones â taken with the No. 15 overall pick out of Alabama that year â the Patriots finished at 10-7, in the first year of the extended, 17-game, 18-week schedule.
But they were dominated by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, suffering a 47-17 defeat.
In fact, the Patriots have not won a postseason game since defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53, capping off the 2018 season â the sixth Super Bowl victory in franchise history, all coming with Brady under center and another NFL legend, coach Bill Belichick at the helm.
But there was still more good news for the Patriots after Sunday’s NFL slate.
AFC Top Seed Back in Sight
The Patriots already had some good news as they prepared for Sunday night’s game in Baltimore. Earlier in the day, the AFC-leading Denver Broncos lost their third game of the season, snapping an 11-game win streak, when they fell 34-20 to the surging Jacksonville Jaguars.
That meant, with their win over Baltimore, the Patriots moved into a tie with Denver at 12-3 atop the conference standings.
The Broncos own the tiebreaker based on each team’s record against common opponents. But according to a computer model designed by The Athletic, the Patriots increased their probability of overtaking the Broncos and grabbing that top seed â and the bye week that goes with it â to 38 percent.
If the Broncos go 1-1 in their final two games, and the Patriots win both of theirs, New England gets the top seed. But while the Patriots face the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins â with their combined winning percentage of .300 â the Broncos face the Kansas City Chiefs followed by the 11-4 Los Angeles Chargers who already defeated Denver once this season, 23-20 in Week 3.
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