Did the Patriots Make the Playoffs After Beating the Ravens?

Yes — the New England Patriots won today. New England rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter hole to beat the Baltimore Ravens 28–24 on the road, clinching a playoff spot and securing the franchise’s first postseason berth since 2021. It wasn’t always clean, but it was decisive when it mattered most: a late touchdown run, a momentum-swinging turnover, and a composed final kneel-down sequence delivered the Patriots’ 12th win and moved them to 12–3. Baltimore fell to 7–8.

The headline performance belonged to quarterback Drake Maye, who turned a tense night into a statement win. Maye finished with a career-high 380 passing yards — his first 300-yard passing game — and authored his first fourth-quarter comeback. The Patriots needed every bit of that production, especially after the Ravens threatened to pull away early in the final quarter.

How the Ravens built the 11-point lead

After three quarters, Baltimore led 17–13 and was driving with a chance to widen the gap. Early in the fourth, the Ravens leaned on Derrick Henry, who ripped off a “monstrous” 22-yard gain to set up first-and-goal. Moments later, Henry punched in a 2-yard touchdown run — his second rushing TD of the night — and the Ravens stretched the lead to 24–13. Henry finished with 128 rushing yards, repeatedly stressing New England’s edge fits and second-level tackling.

Baltimore’s quarterback situation also shifted as the game tightened. Lamar Jackson was declared out in the third quarter, putting more responsibility on Tyler Huntley to manage the closing stretch. The Ravens still had chances, but their margin shrank fast once Maye caught fire.

Maye’s fourth-quarter surge (and the moment everyone debated)

Down 24–13, Maye went aggressive. With 9:42 left in the fourth, he heaved a deep ball to Kyle Williams for a 37-yard touchdown — a gutsy strike that instantly flipped the atmosphere. New England then converted a two-point conversion on a Maye throw to Rhamondre Stevenson, making it a one-score game.

The comeback drive later included one of the game’s most talked-about moments. With 3:19 remaining and New England trailing 24–21, Marlon Humphrey tackled Kayshon Boutte on a deep ball, but Boutte batted the pass away and it was ruled incomplete — no pass interference. The sequence drew immediate disbelief and became a flashpoint as the Patriots continued pushing into scoring range.

Maye kept answering. He hit Stefon Diggs repeatedly (Diggs finished with nine catches for 138 yards), including a huge 21-yard reception on fourth down at 3:02 that put New England in the red zone. Then, with 2:07 left, Stevenson burst through the Ravens’ defense for a 21-yard touchdown run to give the Patriots a 28–24 lead.

The turnover that sealed it

Baltimore’s final possession ended in the cruelest way. With 1:48 left, Huntley completed a short pass to Zay Flowers, but K’Lavon Chaisson punched the ball out and Marcus Jones recovered — Patriots ball. New England then closed it out: Stevenson gained 11 yards at 1:43, Maye scrambled for 16 yards at 1:34, and the Patriots went to victory formation as the clock hit 0:00.

If you want a fuller game breakdown and context on the comeback, read more here: Patriots Erase 11-Point Deficit, Clinch Playoffs vs Ravens .

For official schedules, standings context, and league-wide updates, you can also check NFL.com.

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