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The New England Patriots immediately got back to winning ways after snapping their 10-game streak last week, and it was from behind.
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 dimmed further following a Pittsburgh Steelers victory over the Detroit Lions earlier Sunday. Baltimore is now two games out of the AFC North lead at 7-8, meaning they should win and Pittsburgh lose, which includes a Week 18 matchup between the two rivals.
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Drake Maye of the New England Patriots passes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on December 21, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The big story that comes out of this is 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 during a running play, where it appeared Jackson had caught the knee of a Patriots defender from the side. He immediately grimaced in pain and left the field, with Tyler Huntley taking over.
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When the Ravens came out in the second half, Huntley was still under center and Jackson was not seen at all. He was ruled out and the Ravens, with their playoff hopes on the line, had to trust Huntley to get the job done.
Things were looking up in that regard, as 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 weren’t going to start a losing streak.
Maye led a seven-play drive, going 73 yards with a Kyle Williams bomb down the field for a 37-yard score. Not only did they add six points to the total, but they wanted to cut Baltimore’s lead to three points and they did so with a successful two-point conversion.
Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens warms up before 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 took over on the next drive, forcing a punt to give the ball back to Maye immediately. 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, unleashed a 21-yard run to take the lead, 28-24.
The Ravens still had just under two minutes left to operate, but Zay Flowers, who had a big game with seven catches for 84 yards and a score on the ground, fumbled after catching a short pass and the Patriots recovered.
From there, Maye iced the win with a perfect read option, keeping the ball to himself and running 16 yards for the first time, making sure to slide before reaching the end zone to kneel down.
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In box scoring, Jackson was 7 of 10 passing for 101 yards with just seven yards rushing before going out. Huntley finished 9 of 10 for 65 yards, while Henry finished with 18 carries for 128 yards and his two scores, including the first touchdown of the game.
For New England, Maye was legitimate 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.
