BALTIMORE — Let's be honest, the Patriots had their little bliss bubble burst a bit in the loss to the Bills.
The quarterback who could do no wrong, did in the second half, especially on the final two drives of the game when the Patriots needed something to overcome a four-point deficit.
Their high-priced receiver looked lost at times, especially in three crucial spots when the quarterback was leaning on him. That brought catcalls from Bills fans about something they refer to as "December Diggs."
The defense couldn't get off the field in yielding five straight touchdown drives. Couldn't even hold the Bills to a field goal. Did they have a pass rush? Were they ever going to stop the run?
The coaches looked like they lost their touch, and even the special teams couldn't prevent long kickoffs.
The Patriots' 10-game winning streak was over, and it seemed like the Patriots got a cold dose of reality in their first big game of the season.
You wondered if the moment was too big for them. You wondered if they were just a nice little story that was coming back down to earth.
And then the first three quarters happened at M&T Bank Stadium, and it was much of the same. Drake Maye admitted he wasn't seeing the field well and had two big turnovers that took points off the board. The Patriots again couldn't leak a drop in the running game, meaning that Josh McDaniels had no choice but to get pass-happy. The defense forced just one punt on the first seven drives of the game that included three touchdowns, a field goal and one missed field goal. Derrick Henry (18 rushes, 128 yards, 2 TDs, 7.7 average) made the Patriots' defense look like a JV. Looked like Tyler Huntley was going to beat them for the second-straight season. At least the special teams resorted to mostly booting touchbacks.
The Ravens led 24-13 with 12:50 left in the game. The Patriots had gone fumble, punt, field goal, downs on their previous possessions. Probably more than a few thought, "Well, it was a nice run for this season, way better than anyone thought. But the Patriots got a bit exposed when the schedule got tougher. Preparing myself for a one-and-done playoffs. Fun season. They'll be better next year."
And then the fourth quarter happened. And the Patriots did everything they didn't do against the Bills to post a thrilling comeback victory that seemed improbable at one point (they had a 12% chance to win at one point).
“I think it was good to be in a game like this where we battled, and it was tied, and we got down, and momentum kind of shifted the other way, then our guys battled back," Mike Vrabel said. "We got stops. Offense continued to attack. Our quarterback battled. Our receivers came through and the runners. I felt like it was a big team win. It’s a huge team win. ... It was just that we lost a lot of guys. A lot of guys went down, and a lot of guys stepped up. They have to get healthy. I think this was a great win for us.”
Maye, who was a reason why the Patriots lost to the Bills, was the reason they beat the Ravens — or at least gave them a chance to win. Maye was