I have no idea what the tape will ultimately say about Drake Maye’s performance Sunday night in Baltimore, but I can tell you that his play in the final quarter was about as good as a quarterback can be.
Down 24-13, with a number of shaky throws and two turnovers on his game resume, Maye once again demonstrated that what happened on the last play or last series doesn’t linger. The 23-year-old was a badass on back-to-back drives, taking the Patriots’ 73 and 89 yards, erasing the deficit by playing borderline flawless football, and earning his first-ever fourth-quarter comeback.
“Great experience for me,” Maye said of overcoming the lows to reach the heights he did. “I wasn't seeing it great, wasn't making great throws, threw a couple in the dirt. From there, just battling back and having to have the confidence myself and the confidence in the guys around me. The guys supported me all game. We never got down, and there’s still belief over there. So hope to continue that. And we're gonna need a game like this probably down the road.”
Maye completed all six of his throws on the Pats' first series of the 4th quarter, and added a two-point conversion completion to cut the deficit to three, 24-21. He did it in the face of constant pressure, but it’s almost as if the hits helped dial him in. They came fast and furious, forcing Maye to take the mall profits on the first four plays of the drive - a pair to Hunter Henry, one to Kyle Williams, then a quick out to Mack Hollins.
The Ravens were digging deep into their bag of tricks. Defensive coordinator Zach Orr blitzed safeties, corners, and linebackers. He showed pressure, crowding the line of scrimmage, and then peeled off two or three defenders, leaving just four rushing. But Maye, who struggled with some of these looks in the first half, had no such issues with the game on the line. Then, when given an opportunity down the field, Maye took it, dropping a gorgeous throw over Williams’ shoulder for 37 yards and a touchdown. The catch was also deserving of all the plaudits you want to throw at it.
“Offense continued to attack, and our quarterback battled,” Mike Vrabel acknowledged. “The receivers came through, and the runners, and I felt like it was a big team win, a huge team win.”
After the defense held their end of the bargain, Maye and the offense got the ball back with 5:02 left on the clock, needing 89 yards to take the lead. The heck with a field goal. The quarterback was dialed in. Maye stood in the pocket on first down and delivered a 20-yard completion to Mack Hollins on a deep over route. I don’t know how you felt, but the energy from the sideline and from those on the field made it clear that the time was now.
That was a great drive starter, but Maye also had a plus throw to Stefon Diggs while getting rocked by linebacker Roquon Smith, and later, on 4th and 2 from the Ravens ' 48-yard line, went back to Diggs on a quick out in the left flat. The defensive back read the play perfectly, but the throw was even better. And as has been the case all year, if Maye throws it to Diggs, he’ll catch it. That play went for 21 yards, and a couple of snaps later, Rhamondre Stevenson found the end zone and the Pats had the lead for good.
“People have no idea what he means to this team,” Maye said of Diggs, who finished with 9 catches for 138 yards. “He's a leader. He's been great in the locker room. He wants football in his hand...he just keeps showing up and making plays, and he's doing it at a really high level, and he's just bouncing back and vocal, and he's awesome to play with.”
“For them to be able to take a chance on me, and give me an opportunity to show them who I am, means a lot,” an emotional Diggs said, citing Vrabel and the coaching staff for their belief before adding, “I’m back and better than ever.”
Diggs has been a valuable resource for Maye, especially on money downs. It should be no surprise that the Pats’ recent issues in the passing game, especially against man coverage, coincided with the 32-year-old pass catcher not getting a ton of targets or receptions (8 for 66 yards in the previous three games). But one week after the Pats could have used his involvement, they got it early and often in Baltimore. Diggs was so dialed in that he said he had to apologize to the team’s medical staff after being sent into the blue tent following his first catch. Apparently, he tried to force his way out of there (the independent concussion spotter had called down, necessitating his removal from the game). Everyone on that sideline is thanking their lucky stars because they don’t win without him.
The Pats also don’t get it done without Maye (duh), and it’s safe to say that in a season full of highlights and wins - 12 of ‘em now - this 4th quarter is the thing that might sway the MVP voters back in his direction (he was second behind Matthew Stafford in the odds coming into the night).
“I care about winning,” Maye said after finishing with a career-high 380 yards passing on 31 completions. “If that's what it takes, I'll try to do whatever it takes. That's what I'm trying to do for this team. I won’t change that. No matter if it's 500 yards or 40 yards, whatever it takes to win the game. “
Maye has now checked another thing off his to-do list. Next up, winning the AFC East and then? We’ll talk about that when the time comes. For now, just enjoy that this young quarterback has passed another test, and the Patriots are back in the playoffs.