drake-maye-patriots-4.jpg
Getty Images

BALTIMORE -- In the waning moments, the "MVP" chants rained down.

No, they weren't for two-time MVP Lamar Jackson. In fact, they weren't even from the home crowd. They were from the New England Patriots faithful, who were rightfully showering their young quarterback with praise as he iced the game. He even stayed on the grass for a moment after sliding, celebrating taking it in before his teammates helped him up.

For the first time since 2021, the Patriots are back in the playoffs, and they're going there on the back of Drake Maye's MVP-level play. The second-year quarterback added several "firsts" to his rapidly growing superstar resume -- first career fourth-quarter comeback, first career 300-yard passing game (he blew by that with 380), first career playoff berth -- in New England's 28-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on "Sunday Night Football."

"This winning feeling, there's nothing like it," Maye said. "Coach reminded us of that pregame. He says 'You can't buy that back.' ... At his age, he always says, 'I wish I could suit up again, and you just can't buy that.' He said, 'You can buy anything else in life, but you can't buy this time were in right now,' and what a time it is."

What a time it is, indeed.

NFL Week 16 playoff picture: 49ers, Bears and Patriots punch their tickets; Panthers seize NFC South lead
Tyler Sullivan
NFL Week 16 playoff picture: 49ers, Bears and Patriots punch their tickets; Panthers seize NFC South lead

The Patriots trailed 24-13 with under 10 minutes left, making this the franchise's largest fourth-quarter comeback since its Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons: the legendary 28-3 comeback. Over New England's final three drives -- two touchdowns and one to run out the clock -- Maye went 12 for 14 for 139 yards and a touchdown and added a 16-yard run to clinch the game for good measure.

"Drake's ridiculous," rookie left guard Jared Wilson said with a laugh and a shake of his head. "Drake's ridiculous."

drake-maye-patriots-3.jpg
Getty Images

With just over two minutes left in the third quarter, Ar'Darius Washington flew in on a blitz and swung Maye to the ground, forcing an incompletion on third-and-10. Maye spent more than a few moments on the ground recuperating before jogging to the sideline ... only to see the situation get worse. Mike Vrabel puzzlingly called for a fake punt that the Ravens stymied. Seven plays later, Derrick Henry plowed into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, and New England trailed by 11.

Including their collapse last week, the Patriots had been outscored 52-20 over roughly their last five quarters at that point. The defense was struggling. Players on both sides were dropping like flies -- Maye said New England "probably had like 100 combinations" in the offensive huddle -- and judging by his post-game press conference, the number of scratches, scrapes, bruises and bumps on Maye's arms likely matched that.

"I just thought [he was] gritty," Vrabel said. "And he got hit. He got hit. They pressured, or they got home and they hit him. He just kept getting up and battling. He didn't flinch. I think it was important for all of us to have that game -- entire team."

Maye certainly wasn't alone. Rhamondre Stevenson, who had 78 yards on just 10 touches, scored the go-ahead touchdown. On the ensuing possession, K'Lavon Chaisson made a tremendous play to track down Zay Flowers and punch the ball out. Marcus Jones recovered, allowing Maye to seal the deal. Stefon Diggs continued his remarkable season with nine catches for 138 yards. The offensive line had some stellar stretches.

Still, it all comes back to Maye. On the penultimate touchdown drive, he accounted for all 73 of New England's yards and was 6 for 6 for 71 yards through the air, the final pass a beauty to Kyle Williams for a 37-yard touchdown. Maye found Stevenson for the two-point conversion to boot.

"He's a dog, he's a leader," Williams said. "He's always coming in the huddle with some encouraging words, letting us know, reminding us of what we need to focus on, make sure we do our job. He's a conductor at the end of the day. Whatever he says, we follow, and he's been doing a great job. I'm so proud of him, but we got a lot more way to go."

They still had a ways to go Sunday night, even. The defense got a stop, and Maye had the ball, down three with 5:02 to go. It wasn't all that different from a week prior: He got two late possessions down four to Buffalo but couldn't capitalize on either.

"I think it was kind of a wake-up call last week," Maye said. "We got a chance to win the game with the game-winning drive, and this week it was like, 'Man let's not have this same feeling two weeks in a row.' I felt like that. It was kind of elephant in the room, going out there once the defense got the ball back."

The elephant quickly exited. Maye started the game-winning drive with a 20-yard rip to Mack Hollins. Two plays later, he found Diggs for a first down a split second before getting plastered by a blitzing Roquan Smith. Four plays after that, he found Diggs again for 21 yards on an inch-perfect pass just beyond the outstretched arm of Washington to convert a fourth-and-2.

"I like our chances when we're in those scenarios," Maye said. "I like our chances."

He certainly should given Diggs' prowess in clutch moments.

"You have no idea what he means to this team," Maye said of Diggs. "He's a leader. He's been great in the locker room. He wants the football in his hand, and he delivers. ... He just keeps showing up and making plays and doing it at a really high level. ... He's awesome to play with."

The Patriots very well may fly as high as Maye takes them this postseason. The rushing attack can be explosive but has been mostly inconsistent -- New England is 25th in rushing success rate by running backs this season. The rushing defense allows the NFL's second-highest rushing success rate.

Sunday night, though, Maye showed the biggest sign of a superstar quarterback: that a rising tide can lift all boats. He had nine completions for 20 or more yards, tied for the second-most by any player in a game this season. He did it despite taking a beating -- he was contacted a season-high 17 times -- and often having to elevate his team from substandard circumstances.

On one sequence, he recovered from a botched handoff with a 12-yard gain to set up third-and-5. He evaded pressure and found Kayshon Boutte for a first down, but offensive pass interference wiped it out. No matter: On third-and-15, Maye climbed the pocket and rifled a 24-yard completion to Diggs.

"He got him touched up a little bit too much tonight," Wilson said. "We didn't want that, but Drake's a tough guy, and some of those throws, man, it's just like ..."

He paused. He smiled.

"I remember, I messed up on one, I was like 'Oh no!' and you see him make a throw and you're just like 'Oh yeah!'"

The Patriots are headed back to the postseason. They went 4-13 last year. They are now 12-3 with bigger goals ahead. One quarter after lying on the ground in pain, Maye was lying on the ground basking in a comeback win.

What a difference a year can make. What a difference a week can make. What a difference a quarter can make.

What a difference Drake Maye can make.