Patriots’ late-game rally proved the undeniable truth AFC teams didn't want to see

In Week 15, the New England Patriots rushed to a 21-0 lead before collapsing and losing to the Buffalo Bills. Questions were legitimately raised about whether the 2025 Patriots and their young quarterback, Drake Maye, had the right stuff to come back and win a big game late.

Now, one week later, they've shown they can, and as a result, nothing remains beyond their reach.

With a dazzling fourth-quarter performance, Maye interjected himself back into the MVP discussion after taking his team from an 11-point deficit to a win against an injury-diminished yet still feisty Baltimore Ravens team. In the process, the Patriots nailed down their first playoff berth since 2021.

The reversal of fortune engineered by Maye with his heroics, aided by other great performances by his teammates, demonstrated that this young Patriots team is indeed a force to be reckoned with, and the reckoning could happen, as unexpectedly as it may have seemed to some, in 2025.

Drake Maye proved he has true grit to lead the Patriots to victory

The Patriots' 23-year-old quarterback, Drake Maye, took a metaphorical hit after the Patriots collapsed in Week 15 and blew an eminently winnable game against Buffalo. He couldn't engineer the Tom Brady-like comeback Patriot Nation over two decades had come not only to hope for but to expect.

It was a bitter pill to swallow as an immediate capturing of the AFC East title, the only stated goal of new Head Coach Mike Vrabel, had been in the team's grasp, and they had let it slip away. It was a tough week for Maye and his teammates, with another tough game looming.

It was on the road against the Ravens and two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and his bruising, 252-pound running back Derrick Henry.

The first half was sloppy, and the score at halftime was 10-10. Yet, in the second half, the Ravens ultimately zoomed to an 11-point advantage, and things looked bleak for the Patriots.

Yet, in a reversal of fortune, this week, Maye rose to the occasion. In the fourth quarter, he gashed the Ravens' defense, completing 12 of 14 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown in a tour-de-force, MVP-worthy performance.

Patriots' third-round pick Kyle Williams continues to impress - when he plays

Drake Maye's ace touchdown was a 37-yard dime thrown to the inexplicably underused rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams. The third-round draft choice, as expected, is now demonstrating his blazing speed and ability to make big plays when he's on the field. He has just seven receptions, but three have gone for touchdowns.

Draftee Williams has had a similar experience to second-round draft pick TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson, who is now taking the top off NFL defenses, was ridiculously benched for about eight games by a befuddled offensive coaching staff, ostensibly because of his less-than-optimum pass-blocking skills.

A potential take-it-to-the-house runner on every carry was benched because of his blocking skills.

Williams' development has been similarly stymied by poor decision-making in offensive coaching. He was ostensibly shelved (he still has only 16 total targets for the season!), reportedly because of his lack of knowledge of the offensive system. Now, both, after finally getting opportunities, have added the explosiveness expected when they were drafted so high by Mike Vrabel.

Key plays on offense by Maye, Stefon Diggs (who had a monster game, Mack Hollins, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Hunter Henry also can't be ignored. All contributed mightily to a resounding and convincing come-from-behind win.

The Patriots have now demonstrated that they aren't out of any game until the final whistle. To advance in the playoffs, you'd better be able to overcome adversity. The Patriots can. They have put the entire NFL on notice: they are a threat to any team they play, and when they get a few top reinforcements back, they'll be even more formidable.

A 2001-like finish may not be as unthinkable as it once seemed.