Pats Pulpit
Our offseason countdown continues with the No. 2 Best Patriots Moment of 2024.
Here we are, closing out June, and we only have two moments left on our countdown of the Top 10 Patriots Moments of 2024. I’m looking forward to celebrating our nation’s independence next week with my independence from ever thinking about last season again.
The list so far:
10. Jerod Mayo out, Mike Vrabel in.
9. Drake Maye hits Austin Hooper for a 38-yard TD on 4th-and-15 against the Miami Dolphins.
8. Joey Slye nails a 63-yard field goal to close out the half against the San Francisco 49ers.
7. A free play gets DeMario Douglas into the end zone vs. the Los Angeles Chargers.
6. A nine-sack day helps list the Patriots over the Chicago Bears.
5. A late 70-yard touchdown drive hands the Jets their fifth consecutive loss, and the Patriots their second win.
4. The Patriots stun the Bengals on opening weekend.
3. Drake Maye’s throws his first touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte against the Texans.
I’m guessing that my Number Two moment ranks first overall for most of you, but I’m saving that one for what I think is the moment that mattered most in 2024. But what follows is, in my opinion at least, the best thing that happened for this team on the field last year.
2. Drake Maye hits Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone with no time left on the clock to tie the game against the Tennessee Titans.
The Week 9 matchup between the Patriots and Titans didn’t have much appeal to anybody outside of the New England and Tennessee areas. The Patriots had doubled their win total the week before with some late heroics to take down the Jets and sat at 2-6, while Tennessee’s lone win on the year came back in Week 4 against the Dolphins. Two teams whose season was over before the halfway point of the NFL calendar met on November 3rd, 2024 to see who could outsuck the other.
As far as the 2024 season went, this represented one of New England’s better games. Both teams traded points and turnovers, and the game was knotted up 10-10 until late in the 4th quarter, when Mason Rudolph was able to capitalize on the short field generated by a Drake May strip sack to take the 17-10 lead. Both teams traded punts on the ensuing two possessions, but a 25-yard Marcus Jones punt return set the Patriots up on the 50-yard line with exactly two minutes left to play. For the first time in his career, Drake Maye found himself in position for some late-game heroics.
With a poise that completely belied his inexperience, Maye got right to work. He hit Boutte for 11 yards, then Rahmondre Stevenson for nine. A seven-yard scramble on the next play brought the Patriots to the Tennessee 22 with forty seconds left to play. Another quick out to Mondre followed by a strike to Henry up the middle,...
