Wow, what a comeback! You can’t call the Patriots frauds after this win. The Patriots needed the supreme effort of every player on the roster to gut out a win. Several Patriots were injured during the game, and backups had to step up. The Patriots were down 11 points with 12:50 left in the 4th quarter, and Drake Maye led them to two TDs and a successful 2-point conversion to complete the comeback. The Patriots fans in attendance were showering him with MVP chants.
I don’t know of any media members who had the Patriots winning this game! I certainly did not. The Ravens’ running game, combined with Robert Spillane and Milt Williams being out, spelled bad news for the Patriots.
The Good
Drake Maye had his first 4th Quarter comeback when the team needed him to lead them to a victory. He completed 31 passes on 44 throws for 380 yards. This was also the first 300-yard game of his career.
Maye’s game-winning drive started with 5:02 left in the game and the ball at the Patriots’ 11-yard line. He drove them down the field 89-yards into the endzone in just 2:55 minutes.
Maye was 12-14 for 139 yards, and a TD in the 4th. What was also impressive was the number of hits that Drake Maye took tonight.
Stefon Diggs had his finest game of his brief career with the Patriots. His 9 catches on 10 targets for 138 yards was incredible. Further his leadership on the sideline was evident. He was clutch tonight, and he rose to the occasion when the spotlight of a Prime-Time game. He looked as spry and quick as he has looked at any time this season.
K’Lavon Chaisson’ hustle play to come back and knock away the ball from Zay Flowers epitomizes what the team did tonight.
What a catch by Kyle Williams for a 37-yard TD. Williams is another player who stepped up when he was forced into more playing time with the Pop Douglas Hamstring injury. That was a great contested catch with defender all over him. He beat the DB off the line and stacked him near the goaline, tracking the ball and making the catch. He stayed inbounds and completed the catch going to the ground like a seasoned veteran.
Cory Durden, Eric Gregory and Christian Barmore played tremendously and gave it their all when Joshua Farmer and Khyiris Tonga went out with injuries. Head Coach Mike Vrabel also singled out Anfernee Jenning for playing some DT to give the three DTs a breather. On passing downs, Elijah Ponder went inside and even Brenden Schooler played some DL.
Stefon Diggs 4th 100-yard game of the year was the 1st receiver since Rob Gronkowski in 2015 to have 4 in a season. The last Wide Receiver to have 4 in a season was Julian Edelman in 2013.
The Patriots won the Time of Possession 31:49 to 28:11.
The Defensive coaches made some adjustments after they were gashed in the 1st
Maye made a tremendous amount of adjustment after Baltimore showed many exotic blitzes and fake blitzes early in the game.
This was the first Patriots comeback from a double-digit deficit since the Super Bowl LI comeback down 28-3.
After this two-week stint against Buffalo and Baltimore, the Patriots are a legitimate contender and not just the product of a soft schedule.
The Bad
The attempt of a fake punt was given away earlier in the game and running it was a stupid play. That play giving Baltimore the ball at the New England 44-yard line led to an easy TD, upping the Ravens lead to 24-13. That could have easily lost the game for the Patriots.
Drake Maye’s two turnovers were very bad. His INT at the 4-yard line took points off the board. His strip sack was just awful. He was holding the ball like a loaf of bread, begging for the Ravens to knock it out of his hands. Luckily it was at the end of the 1st half, but again they were already Field Goal range and he gave it away.
The Officiating was brutal again. On the Mark Andrews forward pass attempt, was the correct call, however, what was the call for Roughing the Passer? That was not Roughing the Passer! The missed call of Pass Interference on the Kayshon Boutte paly was absolutely brutal. Marlon Humphries tackles Boutte before the ball got their and is sitting on the ground looking around for the flag. Even the official in the booth said it was DPI. Boutte could have charged the DB with rape on that play. Let’s add a call on Kayshon Boutte for Offensive Pass Interference. That wasn’t OPI.
Don’t tell me that the Patriots won because Lamar Jackson was injured. This was a statement game for this young team, erasing the bitter taste in their mouth from the Buffalo game. Baltimore is a quality opponent that were playing for their playoff lives, on Sunday Night, and playing at home.
The Patriots were horrible in the Red Zone again, allowing 2 of 3 TDs inside the 20. They were also bad on 3rd They allowed 7 of 11 chances on 3rd down.
The Ugly
Jim Harbaugh should be ashamed of himself. He deserves all the criticism the Ravens fans will hurl his way this week. Why in God’s name did he stop running the ball down the Patriots throats, especially when they only had three healthy Defensive Tackles left to play? Further, he benched Derrick Henry in the 4th quarter!
The number of Patriots injuries was incredible. Farmer, Tonga, Woods, Moses, Munford, Diggs, Boutte and Douglas were all injured. Diggs came back and had an unbelievable game. I also can’t say enough about the effort that Morgan Moses put in. He was still hurting when he came back in for Munford and gutted out the victory.
I thought this was the worst game I have seen Christian Gonzalez play until he made that 4th Quarter breakup.
Many Patriots didn’t realize they had clinched a playoff spot until some of the media told them. There was no celebration in the locker room and they believed their job isn’t done.
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
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