NFL: New England Patriots clinch playoff spot with 28-24 comeback win over Baltimore Ravens as Lamar Jackson suffers back injury

Drake Maye guided New England to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, rallying his team from an 11-point deficit to a 28-24 victory over Baltimore on Sunday night that clinched a post-season spot for the Patriots and dealt a devastating blow to the Ravens' playoff hopes.

Down 24-13 in the fourth quarter, Maye answered with a 37-yard scoring strike to Kyle Williams before a two-point conversion pass to Rhamondre Stevenson made it a three-point game with 9:01 to play.

After New England forced a punt, the Patriots drove 89 yards for the winning touchdown. Baltimore's pass rush, which was non-existent earlier in the game, was much better towards the end, but Maye showed why he's emerged as an MVP candidate while leading New England (12-3) to first place in the AFC East.

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He threw for a career-best 380 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, as veteran receiver Stefon Diggs shone with 138 yards and nine catches. The winning touchdown came on one of New England's few productive running plays, a 21-yard dash by Stevenson with 2:07 left.

The Ravens, who lost Lamar Jackson to a back injury in the second quarter, turned the ball over on their final drive on a fumble by Zay Flowers. Baltimore (7-8) is now two games behind AFC North-leading Pittsburgh with two to play. To win the division, the Ravens would need to win at Green Bay and Pittsburgh, and have the Steelers - who beat Detroit earlier in the day - lose to lowly Cleveland in Week 17.

Stats leaders:

Ravens

• Passing: Lamar Jackson, 7/10, 101 yards
• Rushing: Derrick Henry, 18 carries, 128 yards, 2 TDs
• Receiving: Zay Flowers, 7 catches, 84 yards

Patriots

• Passing: Drake Maye, 31/44, 380 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
• Rushing: Rhamondre Stevenson, 8 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD
• Receiving: Stefon Diggs, 9 catches, 138 yards

Pittsburgh's win put immense pressure on the Ravens, and things went from bad to worse when New England took a 10-7 lead and then Jackson left late in the second quarter with yet another injury - this time to his back.

Tyler Huntley - who led Baltimore to a huge win in Week 8 over Chicago when Jackson was out with a hamstring problem - helped the Ravens rally. Flowers scored on an 18-yard end around to give the Ravens a 17-13 lead in the third quarter. Baltimore then snuffed out a fake punt near midfield and went 11 points ahead on Derrick Henry's 2-yard run with 12:50 left in the fourth.

But that was the last time Henry touched the ball - another baffling set of decisions in another fourth-quarter collapse by a Baltimore team that's had plenty of those in recent years.

The Ravens had taken a 7-0 lead on a 21-yard run by Henry - just their third first-quarter touchdown in nine home games this season. After Maye was intercepted, Baltimore's offense was rolling before Henry fumbled. New England tied it on a 1-yard pass from Maye to Hunter Henry. It was 10-all at halftime.

The Patriots lost Rookie of the Year candidate Tre'Veyon Henderson when the running back left with a head injury in the second quarter.

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