By R.L. Bynum
No matter what numbers Drake Maye puts up, he just keeps winning.
Maye led New England to a 28–16 victory Sunday at Tampa Bay for the 8–2 Patriots’ seventh consecutive win, giving them a 1½-game lead atop the AFC East.
His streak of eight consecutive games with at least 200 yards passing and a passer rating of 100 ended. The streak tied Tom Brady’s as the longest in franchise history and was the longest for a player younger than 24.
Maye finished 16 of 31 for 270 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating of 89.5 was his lowest since an 80.6 in a Week 1 home loss to the Los Angeles Raiders.
The Patriots trailed early before Maye tied it on a 72-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Williams late in the first quarter — the longest pass of Maye’s career and the longest Patriots touchdown play this season.
“Kyle got out the back door. You know, he’s fast. You’re not gonna catch him,” Maye said. “He only got maybe one target and made it count. Just proud of him for getting in there.”
On the last play of the first half, facing fourth-and-goal at the Bucs’ 1, Maye lofted a pass in the corner of the end zone to Stefon Diggs, who got his toes inbounds for a touchdown to give the Patriots a 14–10 halftime lead.
“Shoot, didn’t get in the first three times,” Maye said. “Stef made a great play. That was a toe tap extraordinaire.”
New England coach Mike Vrabel said that moment was pivotal.
“That was a huge, huge play for us. On fourth down, I’ve got confidence in our guys,” Vrabel said. “I was really excited and proud of Stef and Drake for scoring where we were and being able to end the half with the football in our hands.”
Maye, although only sacked once, took a beating late during a drive in which he connected on a third-and-14 for 56 yards to Hollins, becoming the first Patriot to throw two passes of at least 50 yards since Brady did it in 2017.
Hollins, who came into the game with 16 catches for 208 yards on the season, caught six passes on 10 targets for 106 yards. It was his best game since catching eight passes for 158 yards in a 24-22 loss to the Tennessee Titans in 2022 while playing for the Los Angeles Raiders.
That drive ended with Maye throwing an interception in the end zone on third-and-goal at the Bucs’ 2.
“You gotta be mad at yourself,” Maye said. “But you know that you have a chance either to go on a two-minute drill to win the game, or go in a five-minute scenario to win the game. That’s this league — just bouncing back from it, flipping the page.”
Maye said the win was about grit.
“Just so proud of this team. Every week we’re fighting, some things aren’t going our way. We’re handling adversity. Battle adversity, defense is stepping up,” Maye said.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Patriots, who host the New York Jets at 8:15 Thursday night (Prime Video).
| Week | C–A–TDs–I– Yards | C% | QB rating | Rushes– Yards–TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30–46–1–1–287 | 65.2 | 80.6 | 4–11–0 |
| 2 | 19–23–2–0–230 | 82.6 | 137.3 | 10–31–1 |
| 3 | 28–37–2–1–268 | 75.7 | 102.1 | 7–45–0 |
| 4 | 14–17–2–0–203 | 82.4 | 155.6 | 3–11–1 |
| 5 | 22–30–0–0–273 | 73.3 | 101.1 | 3–12–0 |
| 6 | 18–26–3–0–261 | 69.2 | 140.1 | 9–28–0 |
| 7 | 21–23–2–0–222 | 91.3 | 135.9 | 8–62–0 |
| 8 | 18–24–3–1–282 | 75.0 | 135.8 | 7–50–0 |
| 9 | 19–29–2–1–259 | 65.5 | 102.5 | 8–20–0 |
| 10 | 16–31–2–1–270 | 51.6 | 84.4 | 7–13–0 |
| 11 | 25–34–1–0–281 | 73.5 | 107.6 | 4–2–0 |
| 12 | 22–35–1–1–294 | 62.8 | 87.1 | 5–22–0 |
| 13 | 24–31–2–1–282 | 77.4 | 126.0 | 6–12–0 |
| 14 | 14–23–0–1–155 | 60.8 | 62.87 | 4–43–2 |
| 15 | 31–44–2–1–380 | 70.5 | 102.5 | 10–25–0 |
| 16 | 19–21–4–0–256 | 90.5 | 157.0 | 3–22–0 |
| Totals | 340–474– 30–8–4, 4,203 | 71.7 | 112.9 | 95–387–4 |
Week 1: 20–13 loss to L.A. Raiders; Week 2: 33–27 win at Miami; Week 3: 21–14 loss to Pittsburgh; Week 4: 42–13 win over Carolina; Week 5: 23–20 win at Buffalo: Week 6: 26–19 win at New Orleans: Week 7: 31–13 win at Tennessee; Week 8: 32–13 win vs. Cleveland; Week 9: 24–23 win vs. Atlanta; Week 10: 28–23 win at Tampa Bay; Week 11: 27–14 win vs. New York Jets: Week 12: 26–20 win at Cincinnati; Week 13: 33–15 win vs. New York Giants; Week 14: 35–31 loss vs. Buffalo; Week 15: 28–24 win at Baltimore; Week 16: 42–10 win at New York Jets.
Houston safety M.J. Stewart suffered what appeared to be a significant left knee injury with 7:59 left in the first half of the Texans’ 36–29 home win over Jacksonville. He was carted off with his left leg in a cast.
Stewart had started since the Texans released C.J. Gardner-Johnson after Week 3.
Elsewhere around the league:
— Colts wide receiver Josh Downs had one catch on two targets for three yards and two punt returns for 32 yards.
— Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky played in relief of Josh Allen in a blowout loss at Miami, getting one carry for four yards in three snaps.
— Jacksonville wide receiver Dyami Brown had no catches on one target.
— Tampa Bay offensive lineman Charlie Heck played one offensive snap and three special-teams snaps.
— New Orleans’ Asim Richards started at right tackle. Richards has 137 total snaps going into the game, but played 71 on Sunday.
— Arizona running back Michael Carter had three carries for four yards in eight offensive snaps.
— Seattle’s Chazz Surratt had one tackle on kickoff coverage in 17 snaps, all on special teams.
— Houston running back British Brooks had two offensive snaps and 18 special-teams snaps with no statistics.
— Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes (neck injury), Baltimore wide receiver Tez Walker, Pittsburgh linebacker Cole Holcomb and Philadelphia quarterback Sam Howell all were inactive for their games.
Getting the weekend off were Cedric Gray’s Tennessee Titans and Javonte Williams’ Dallas Cowboys.
British Brooks, Houston Texans running back
Age 25 | 5–11, 225 | second NFL season | UNC 2018–23
Roster situation — Fifth-string running back
Season statistics —13 games, 17 carries, 787 yards (20 longest); 5 special-teams tackles, 5 special-teams assists
Wild-card round: Texans 30, Steelers 6 — 1 assist on kickoff coverage; 18 special-teams snaps (72%)
Divisional round — 3 p.m. Sunday at New England, ESPN, ABC
Dyami Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Age 25 | 6–0, 195 | fifth NFL season | UNC 2018–20
Roster situation — Reserve wide receiver
Season statistics — 17 games, 7 starts, 23 catches, 220 yards (39 longest), 9.9 average, 1 TD, 1 fumble (lost); 5 carries, 26 yards (9 longest); 4 kickoff returns, 106 yards (31 longest)
Wild-card round: Bills 27, Jaguars 24 — Not active for the game
The Jaguars’ season ended with the loss.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals running back
Age 26 | 5–8, 201 | fifth NFL season | UNC 2017–20
Roster situation — Starting running back
Season statistics — 14 games, 5 starts, 92 carries, 331 yards (22 longest), 1 touchdown; 33 catches on 39 targets, 267 yards (18 longest); 1 kickoff return, 27 yards; 1 tackle
Week 18: Rams 37, Cardinals 20 — Started; 7 carries, 18 yards (2.6 average, 5 longest); 3 catches on 3 targets, 21 yards (7.0 average, 11 longest); 29 offensive snaps (53%), 1 special-teams snap (4%)
Arizona finished fourth in the NFC West at 3–13.
Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings running back
Age 27 | 5–11, 204 | fourth NFL season | UNC 2021
Roster situation — Second-string kickoff returner; third-string running back
Season statistics — 3 games, 17 carries, 47 yards (5 longest); 3 catches on 4 targets, 11 yards (3.7 average; 11 longest); 1 assist on punt coverage
Week 18: Vikings 16, Packers 3 — 10 carries, 23 yards (2.3 average; 5 longest); 3 catches on 4 targets, 11 yards (3.7 average; 11 longest); 29 offensive snaps (43%), 6 special-teams snaps (26%)
Minnesota finished third in the NFC North at 9–8.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver
Age 23 | 5–9, 171 | third NFL season | UNC 2020–22
Roster situation — Starting slot wide receiver
Season statistics — 16 games, 11 starts, 58 catches, 566 yards (34 longest), 4 touchdowns; 2 rush, -2 yards; 7 punt returns, 68 yards; 2 tackles
Week 18: Texans 38, Colts 30 — Started; 1 carry, -5 yards; 4 catches on 4 targets, 61 yards (15.3 average, 30 longest); 1 punt return, 13 yards; 41 offensive snaps (63%), 3 special-teams snaps (8%)
Indianapolis finished third in the AFC South at 8–9.
Cedric Gray, Tennessee Titans linebacker
Age 22 | 6–2, 234 | second NFL season | UNC 2020–23
Roster situation — Starting left inside linebacker
Season statistics — 16 games, 15 starts, 94 tackles, 65 assists, 7 tackles for losses, 1 sack for 7 yards, 3 passes defended, 2 quarterback pressures, 1 quarterback hit, 2 special-teams tackles, 2 fumble recoveries
Week 18: Jaguars 41, Titans 7 — Started; 3 tackles, 5 assists; 59 defensive snaps (97%)
Tennessee finished fourth in the AFC South at 3–14.
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers running back
Age 22 | 6–0, 220 | rookie NFL season | UNC 2022–24
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 9 games, 6 starts, 124 carries, 545 yards (54 longest), 4.4 average, 4 touchdowns; 32 catches, 192 yards (22 longest), 1 touchdown; 1 fumble recovery
Wild-card round: Patriots 16, Chargers 3— 1 carry, -1 yards, 2 offensive snaps (3%)
The Chargers’ season ended with the loss.
Charlie Heck, Tampa Bay Bucs offensive lineman
Age 28 | 6–8, 311 | sixth NFL season | UNC 2015–19
Roster situation — Backup right tackle behind Luke Goedeke
Season statistics — 18 games, 1 tackle; 701 offensive snaps, 642 special-teams snaps
Week 18: Bucs 16, Panthers 14 — 2 offensive snaps (3%), 5 special-teams snaps (23%)
Tampa Bay finished tied for first in the NFC South at 8–9 but didn’t make the playoffs.
Cole Holcomb, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker
Age 28 | 6–1, 240 | seventh NFL season | UNC 2015–18
Roster situation — Second-string right inside linebacker
Season statistics — 12 games, 3 starts, 19 tackles, 11 assists, 1 forced fumble, 5 special-teams tackles, 3 special-teams assists
Week 18: Steelers 26, Ravens 24 — Played off the bench
Wild-card weekend — 8 p.m. Monday vs. Houston, ABC, ESPN
Sam Howell, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
Age 24 | 6–1, 225 | fourth NFL season | UNC 2019–21
Roster situation — Third-string quarterback
2024 season statistics (Seattle Seahawks); didn’t play in regular season — 2 games, 5 of 14, 24 yards, 1 interception, 14.6 passer rating; 1 carry, 2 yards
Wild-card round: 49ers 23, Eagles 19 — Not active for the game
Philadelphia’s season ended with the loss
Mike Hughes, Atlanta Falcons cornerback
Age 28 | 5–10, 191 | eighth NFL season | UNC 2015
Roster situation — Starting right cornerback
Season statistics — 11 games, 11 starts, 32 tackles, 9 assists, 4 passes defended, 2 tackles for losses; 1 interception
Week 18: Falcons 19, Saints 17 — Didn’t play (ankle injury)
Atlanta finished tie for first in the NFC South at 8–9 but didn’t make the playoffs.
Alijah Huzzie, Houston Texans cornerback
Age 24 | 5–10, 195 | rookie season | UNC 2023–24
Season statistics — 3 games, 3 tackles, 1 pass defended, 1 interception (0 return yards), 1 assist on kickoff coverage
Wild-card round: Texans 30, Steelers 6 — Not active for the game
Divisional round — 3 p.m. Sunday at New England, ESPN, ABC
Drake Maye, New England Patriots quarterback
Age 22 | 6–4, 225 | second NFL season | UNC 2021–23
Roster situation —-Starting QB ahead of Joshua Dobbs
Season statistics — 17 games, 17 starts, 354 of 492, 4,494 (72 longest), 71.9%, 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 47 sacks (201 yards in losses), 113.5 rating; 103 carries, 450 yards (28 longest), 4 touchdowns; 1 two-point conversion run; 3 fumbles (2 lost, 1 recovered)
Wild-card round: Patriots 16, Chargers 3— Started; 17 of 29, 268 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 5 sacks (33 yards in losses), 86.6 passer rating; 10 carries, 66 yards (37 longest); 64 offensive snaps (100%)
Divisional round — 3 p.m. Sunday vs. Houston, ABC/ESPN
Asim Richards, New Orleans Saints offensive lineman
Age 24 | 6–4, 307 | third NFL season | UNC 2019–22
Roster situation — Second-string left tackle
Season statistics — 15 games, 4 starts, 359 offensive snaps, 53 special-teams snaps
Week 18: Falcons 19, Saints 17 — Rreported tackle-eligible twice; 56 offensive snaps (82%), 4 special-teams snaps (14%)
New Orleans finished fourth in the NFC South at 6–11.
Mitch Trubisky, Buffalo Bills quarterback
Age 30 | 6–3, 222 | ninth NFL season | UNC 2014–16
Roster situation — Second-string QB behind Josh Allen
Season statistics — 4 games, 25 of 35, 313 yards (37 longest), 4 touchdowns, 1 2-point conversion completion; 9 carries, 6 yard (9 longest)
Wild-card round: Bills 27, Jaguars 24 — Didn’t play
Divisional round — 4:30 Saturday at Denver, CBS
Tez Walker, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver
Age 24 | 6–1, 198 | second NFL season | UNC 2023
Roster situation — Third-string wide receiver
Season statistics — 11 games, 2 starts, 6 catches, 136 yards (38 longest), 3 touchdowns; 1 tackle, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 2 QB hit, 2 special-teams assists
Week 18: Steelers 26, Ravens 24 — 2 catches on 2 targets, 46 yards (38 longest), 1 touchdown
Baltimore finished second in the AFC North at 8–9.
Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys running back
Age 25 | 5–10, 220 | fifth NFL season | UNC 2018–20
Roster situation — Starting running back ahead of Miles Sanders
Season statistics — 16 games, 16 starts, 252 carries, 1,201 yards (4.8 average; 66 longest), 11 touchdowns; 35 catches, 137 yards (3.9 average; 14 longest), 2 touchdowns
Week 18: Giants 34, Cowboys 17 — Didn’t play
Dallas finished second in the NFC East at 7–9.
Finished season on IR
Miami Dolphins defensive back Storm Duck, knee injury (season statistics: 2 games, 1 start, 1 tackle, 1 assist, 1 pass defended)
Houston Texans safety M.J. Stewart, quadriceps injury (season statistics: 9 games, 4 starts, 10 tackles, 8 assists, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 5 special-teams tackles, 2 special-teams assists)
On injured reserve
Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler, knee injury
New York Giants offensive lineman Joshua Ezudu (IR with designation to return), undisclosed injury
New England wide receiver Mack Hollins (abdomen injury)
Philadelphia Eagles center Willie Lampkin, leg injury (Rams released him in camp)
Seattle linebacker Chazz Surratt (ankle injury)
On practice squads
Baltimore linebacker Kaimon Rucker
New England linebacker Amari Gainer
Minnesota tight end Bryson Nesbit
Waived from practice squads
Linebacker Power Echols by Chicago
Linebacker Tomon Fox by the New York Giants
Defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie by New England
Released during training camp
Linebacker Eugene Asanti by Miami
Tight end John Copenhaver by Jacksonville
Linebacker Desmond Evans by Tennessee
Wide receiver Nate McCollum by Arizona
Defensive back Kyler McMichael by Pittsburgh
Photo via @Patriots
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