The Ravens walked into Sunday Night Football with a chance to cement themselves as serious contenders in the AFC. Instead, they left Foxborough with more questions than answers-and another late-game collapse added to a growing list in 2025.
Despite losing Lamar Jackson early to a back injury, Baltimore still found itself in control, up 11 points heading into the fourth quarter. But once again, the wheels came off. The Ravens fell 28-24 to a Patriots team that simply outlasted them in the final minutes.
Let’s call it what it was: a meltdown. Offensively, the Ravens made costly mistakes at the worst possible times.
The defense, which had held strong for most of the night, ran out of steam. And the coaching decisions?
Well, those are going to be talked about all week-and maybe longer.
The moment that has everyone talking came with just under nine minutes left in the game. Baltimore had the ball and a chance to put the game away.
But instead of leaning on Derrick Henry-their bruising, Pro Bowl-caliber back who had been dominant all night-the Ravens turned to rookie Keaton Mitchell to start the drive. Mitchell got three carries.
Henry didn’t touch the ball once.
NBC’s Cris Collinsworth didn’t mince words during the broadcast. “Do you think the Patriots have to send a thank you note to the Ravens for not putting Derrick Henry in the game for this drive?”
he said. And honestly, it’s hard to argue with him.
Henry had already bounced back from an early fumble to put together a monster night: 18 carries, 128 yards, and two touchdowns. He was the engine of the offense.
Mitchell, on the other hand, struggled to find any rhythm, finishing with just 13 yards on nine carries. The Ravens had leaned into giving Mitchell more snaps in recent weeks-and he’s shown flashes-but this wasn’t the time to experiment.
This was the time to win a football game.
And that’s where the frustration lies for Baltimore fans. This wasn’t just about one play call or one drive.
It was about a pattern. A pattern of mismanaging leads, of questionable decision-making in crunch time, and of failing to adapt when the moment demands it.
The Ravens have now made a habit of letting winnable games slip away, especially against teams with playoff aspirations.
Earlier in the season, there were similar concerns about Henry’s usage. But coming out of the bye week, it seemed like head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Todd Monken had figured it out.
Henry saw more touches, and the offense looked more balanced. Sunday night, though, it was like they hit the rewind button-and the result was all too familiar.
This loss stings not just because it was avoidable, but because it feels like a microcosm of the Ravens’ season. A team with talent, with flashes of dominance, undone by inconsistency and head-scratching decisions when it matters most.
With just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, Baltimore still controls its destiny. But if they want to make any noise in January, they’ll need to find answers fast-starting with how they close out games and how they deploy their stars when the game is on the line. Because if Sunday night proved anything, it’s that the margin for error in the NFL is razor-thin-and the Ravens are running out of time to get it right.