On Sunday night in Baltimore, the Patriots (12-3) pulled off the type of comeback victory we haven’t seen since the days of Brady and Belichick.
Down 11 with 12:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, New England came away from Baltimore with a 28-24 win over the Ravens (7-8), clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2021 and showing the entire country that this team is capable of grinding out a gritty win against a talented roster.
A massive part of that victory was former All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who had 9 catches on 10 targets for 138 yards, and was getting great separation all game long.
His biggest play of the night was a 21-yard gain on 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 48 with just over 3:00 to play. It was reminiscent of prime Diggs in Buffalo, really, and was the linchpin moment of the game for the Patriots, who scored their go-ahead touchdown with Rhamondre Stevenson just two plays later.
It’s almost inarguably Diggs’ biggest play in a Patriots uniform, and it comes just one week after he only managed just 3 catches on 4 targets in a loss against his former team in Week 15, sparking many to speculate as to why Diggs had fallen out of being a factor in the offensive game plan.
Whatever the case may be, Drake Maye was finding Diggs early and often on Sunday night, turning to his favorite target when it mattered most in a crucial moment.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about his four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver during his Monday morning appearance on The Greg Hill Show.
“Well, I just think that there’s a passion, there's a fire, there's a competitiveness,” Vrabel said of Diggs. “And, again - we've been through this, it seems like every week. The nature of this position, everybody wants the ball. They want it as many times as they can get it. They're always open. I've been around receivers. Hell, every time I went in there on the goal line [at tight end], I thought I was open. And I wasn't, probably, most of the time.
“So they've stayed focused. They’ve stayed committed to understanding that it could be anybody's night, and that the ball was going to find them, and that Drake was going to improve on some of the things that - when [he] didn't find guys, and making sure that [he] did, you gotta keep telling these guys [to] run routes with the intent to win. And when the ball finds you, you gotta make the play. And guys were able to do that last night. And again - had a lot of contributions from that wide receiver room, and [Austin Hooper] helped us, and Hunter [Henry] helped us. And so that was good.”
On the season, Diggs has 76 catches (13th in the NFL) for 869 yards and 3 touchdowns. He’s blown past his preseason over/under yardage total of 750 yards, and is still within range of surpassing his touchdown total of 4.5. By almost every measure, Diggs has exceeded expectations in year one with the Patriots, just one season removed from tearing his ACL.
Vrabel, Diggs and the rest of the Patriots get back at in Week 17 with a road game against the Jets (3-12). FanDuel currently lists New England as a 12.5-point favorite, sitting on the moneyline at -900.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.