By R.L. Bynum
Drake Maye said his game Sunday was about battling back from adversity.
He threw for a career-high 294 yards and a touchdown in New England’s 26–20 come-from-behind win over Cincinnati to extend the Patriots’ win streak to nine. But his day started with an interception that was returned for a touchdown on the opening drive, the first pick-six of his career.
“Shoot, I gave them one early in the game,” Maye said. “Just battling back that next drive, and I’m just trying to get next-play mentality. That’s what coach is preaching all the time — battling back from good plays, battling back from bad plays.”
The Patriots, 10–2 with a 3½-game lead on Buffalo in the AFC East, fell behind 10–0 after Maye’s early struggles (3 for 7 for 16 yards in the first quarter) but surged with 17 consecutive points to take a halftime lead.
Maye admitted his accuracy was off early.
“Sometimes just not trusting, just gotta let it go,” he said. “That’s when I’m throwing it the best and on time. I know I wasn’t very accurate early on and found a groove.”
Maye’s lone touchdown pass came on a 28-yard strike to Hunter Henry, who finished with seven catches for 115 yards.
Red-zone execution was a glaring issue as New England settled for four field goals and failed twice inside the 5-yard line. Maye didn’t dodge responsibility:
“I’ve got to be better at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “Helped us play cleaner football and punch it down in the red zone. I take it to heart, and I’m gonna be better.”
With a 10-yard third-quarter completion to Henry, he went over 3,000 passing yards in a season for the first time and now has 3,130.
His best pass of the day was a 37-yard completion to wide receiver DeMario Douglas, who made a terrific diving catch.
Despite the uneven day, Maye leads the NFL in passing yards (2,836) and has 20 touchdowns with a 71.9% completion rate through 11 games.
“Probably middling, not his best performance,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said, though he credited Maye for key throws late.
Mack Hollins had two catches on six targets for 30 yards, including a 24-yard reception.
| 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.
Dallas running back Javonte Williams had another productive day, collecting 94 total yards with 80 rushing yards and 14 passing yards as the Cowboys rallied from 21 points down to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24–21.
In other NFL action:
— Linebacker Cedric Gray had six tackles and one assist in Tennessee’s 30–24 loss to Seattle.
— Arizona running back Michael Carter had five carries for 28 yards and three catches for 30 yards
— Indianapolis wide receiver Josh Downs had two catches on six targets for 10 yards.
— In Thursday’s 23–19 Houston win over Buffalo, Texans running back British Brooks had one tackle on punt coverage, playing 19 of his 20 snaps on special teams.
— Atlanta’s Mike Hughes started at cornerback and had six tackles and defended a pass.
— Baltimore wide receiver Tez Walker caught the only pass targeted to him for 30 yards and had one assist on kickoff coverage
— New Orleans offensive lineman Asim Richards started for the third time this season and the second straight week. After getting in for only 175 offensive snaps before Sunday, he played all 80 offensive snaps in the loss to Atlanta.
— Tampa Bay offensive lineman Charlie Heck played six offensive snaps and one special-teams snap.
— Jacksonville wide receiver Dyami Brown played off the bench with no statistics.
— Chazz Surratt left Seattle’s game with an injured ankle while on kickoff coverage in the first quarter and didn’t return after only playing two special-teams snaps.
— Pittsburgh linebacker Cole Holcomb had one tackle on kickoff coverage, playing only 10 special-teams snaps.
— Neither Philadelphia quarterback Sam Howell nor Buffalo quarterback Mitch Trubisky played.
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
Week 18: Texans 38, Colts 30 — 13 carries, 63 yards (4.8 average, 20 longest); 1 assist on kickoff coverage; 18 offensive snaps (26%), 17 special-teams snaps (47%)
Wild-card round — 8 p.m. Monday at Pittsburgh, ABC, ESPN
Dyami Brown, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver
Age 25 | 6–0, 195 | fifth NFL season | UNC 2018–20
Roster situation — Starting 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)
Week 18: Jaguars 41, Titans 7 — Didn’t start; 1 catch on 1 target, 8 yards; 8 offensive snaps (13%)
Wild-card round — 1 p.m. Sunday vs. Buffalo, CBS
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
Week 18: Broncos 19, Chargers 3 — Not active
Wild-card round — 8 p.m. Sunday at New England Patriots, NBC
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 his season — 2 games, 5 of 14, 24 yards, 1 interception, 14.6 passer rating; 1 carry, 2 yards
Week 18: Commanders 24, Eagles 17 — Didn’t play
Wild-card round — 4:30 Sunday vs. San Francisco 49ers, Fox
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
Week 18: Texans 38, Colts 30 — 3 tackles, 1 pass defended, 1 interception (0 return yards), 1 assist on kickoff coverage; 22 defensive snaps (34%), 14 special-teams snaps(39%)
Wild-card round — 8 p.m. Sunday at Pittsburgh, ABC, ESPN
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)
Week 18: Patriots 38, Dolphins 10 — Started; 14 of 18, 191 yards (35 longest), 1 touchdown (15-yard pass to Rhamondre Stevenson), 0 interceptions, 129.5 passer rating; 5 carries, 41 yards (8.2 average, 14 longest), 0 interceptions; 45 snaps (76%)
Wild-card round — 8 p.m. Sunday vs. Los Angeles Chargers, NBC
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)
Week 18: Bills 35, Jets 8 — 22 of 29, 259 yards (37 longest), 4 touchdowns (17-yard pass to Dawson Knox, 6:43 left, 1st quarter; 2-yard pass to Ray Davis, 2:53 left, 2nd quarter; 2-yard pass to Gabe Davis, 7:46 left, 3rd quarter; 6-yard pass to Ty Johnson, 2:55 left, 4th quarter), 0 interceptions, 2-point conversion completion, 142.1 passer rating; 5 carries, 5 yards (9 longest); played all but the first play at QB; 74 offensive snaps (99%)
Wild-card round — 1 p.m. Sunday at Jacksonville, 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 @PatriotsComm
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