Patriots Best Falcons to Win Sixth Straight Game
With less than five minutes to play, Falcons wide receiver Drake London hauled in his third reception touchdown of the contest. The score made it a one-point game, and the dirty birds only needed the extra point to make it a 24-24 game. They sent John Parker Romo out onto the field, hoping to tie the game up.
It’s been a six-week stretch to remember for the New England Patriots. The team sits at 7-2 and is reminiscent of the squads of the mid-2010s: A strong defense that bends but doesn’t break, paired with a downfield-passing offense that thrives in the second half. Over their last six games, the Pats haven’t just won, they’ve dominated on both sides of the ball, scoring 177 points and allowing just 101. Now, after their best start to a season since 2019, the Patriots have an 89% playoff probability according to NFL.com.
If you had asked me before the season how I thought the first half would go, I’d have told you we would end up at 4-5 or 5-4, probably dropping games to the prolific Bills and solid Falcons. I would never have thought that 7-2 was within the realm of possibility, but I guess I just didn’t know how good Drake Maye could be in only his second NFL season.
Drake Maye’s Day
For the eighth straight game, Maye threw for over 200 passing yards and had a passer rating in the triple digits. It’s now the third-longest streak of such games in NFL history, trailing only Brady’s nine in 2007 and Rodgers’ record 12 in 2011.
In yesterday’s game, Maye honestly had his worst performance in a good while. He had a rough fumble and an interception on a straight-up overthrow. Still, his precision was undeniable on a great touchdown pass to Pop Douglass in the first quarter, and later in the game on many deep passes. He tacked on another touchdown on a short pass to Diggs, who sprinted to the pylon for six. The Bucs' weak secondary shouldn’t pose much of a threat to Maye’s streak in week 10 as he attempts to tie Tom Brady’s streak on Sunday.
Former Patriot Cost Falcons the Game
Romo signed with New England this offseason, but was beat out by rookie Andy Borrengales in the preseason and failed to make the Patriots’ roster. Many of us Patriots fans thought he was wrongfully cut, as he was more consistent than Andy, but the Pats understandably went with the younger option.
Now, Romo had the chance to get some revenge on the team that cut him by sending the ball through the upright. However, as if to reveal to everyone why he was cut by New England, the ball went wide right. That one point ended up as the margin of victory for the Patriots. An ironic ending to a nail-biter of a game for the Patriots.
Looking Forward
This week, New England might have their toughest test of the season: The 6-2 Bucs, fresh off a bye week. It’s set to be a shootout between two MVP candidates, both fighting to maintain top slots in their playoff pictures. But I don’t really care about the MVP race, I just can’t wait to see Drake Maye play football again!