Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots are back in the win column thanks to a 28-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. The victory, which helped New England secure a spot in the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2021, was hard-earned and saw the team overcome an 11-point deficit in the early fourth quarter.
Here is a Patriots-centric view at some of the key moments of the game.
The Patriots defense couldn’t stop a nose bleed in the second half against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, and things did not start any better against the Ravens. After receiving the opening kickoff, it took Baltimore only five plays to cover 65 yards and find the end zone on a 21-yard untouched Derrick Henry touchdown.
Like the Ravens, the Patriots had some success on their opening possession. However, while they managed to drive into the Baltimore red zone their series found a quick and disappointing end: facing a 3rd-and-14, Drake Maye escaped the pocket to his right only to throw an interception to cornerback Marlon Humphrey with wide receiver Kayshon Boutte in the vicinity.
After registering just three takeaways in their last six games, New England’s defense was able to get a big one in the late first quarter. While trying to fight for extra yards, Ravens running back Derrick Henry got the ball punched out on a gang tackle by Jaylinn Hawkins and Carlton Davis. Fellow Patriots DB Craig Woodson fell onto the ball for the recovery, preventing Baltimore from potentially going up by multiple scores.
The Patriots took full advantage of their fumble recovery, driving down the field in 10 plays to score their first points of the night. Selling a handoff to Rhamondre Stevenson, Drake Maye found Hunter Henry wide open in the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game.
The Patriots had a chance to get the upper hand at the end of the first half, moving into Andy Borregales’ field goal range for a fourth time. However, just like the first of those opportunities, New England came up empty-handed: Drake Maye was sacked from behind, coughing the ball up in the process. The Ravens fell on the fumble for their second takeaway of the game.
Facing a 4th-and-10 down four points in the late third quarter, and with the Ravens down to their backup quarterback, the Patriots decided to make a head-scratching decision. Instead of punting the ball, they ran a fake with personal protector Marte Mapu trying to execute a pass. However, the play was doomed from the start and Mapu eventually unable to salvage it. Seven plays later, the Ravens scored a touchdown to go up 24-13.
Down 11 points, the Patriots were...
