drake-maye-patriots-2.jpg
Imagn Images

The Baltimore Ravens are coming off arguably their best performance of the year. The New England Patriots are coming off their first loss in nearly three months. Now, they meet on the national stage in a Week 16 "Sunday Night Football" showdown with major postseason implications.

The Ravens (7-7) cruised past the Cincinnati Bengals 24-0 in Week 15 to halt a two-game losing streak and keep their playoff chances afloat. Lamar Jackson threw for a pair of touchdowns, Derrick Henry ran for 100 yards, and Baltimore averaged 7.8 yards per play while allowing just 4.2. The Ravens also turned Cincinnati over twice, including a Kyle Van Noy interception that turned into a pick six when the veteran linebacker handed the ball off to safety Alohi Gilman, and Gilman ran the remaining 84 yards for the score.

The Patriots looked to also be cruising to victory last week, at one point up 21-0 on the Buffalo Bills, before collapsing on both sides of the ball in an eventual 35-31 loss. The New England defense allowed a touchdown on five consecutive drives, and Drake Maye struggled in the second half as the Patriots missed a chance to clinch the AFC East. Still, New England can at least clinch a playoff berth with a win in Baltimore this week. Here are the Patriots' three scenarios for clinching its first postseason trip since 2021:

Here's how to watch this meeting, followed by betting information, keys to the game and a prediction and pick.

Where to watch Ravens vs. Patriots live

  • Date: Sunday, Dec. 21 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
  • Location: M&T Bank Stadium -- Baltimore
  • TV: NBC
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Odds: Ravens -3, O/U 48.5 (via DraftKings)

Ravens vs. Patriots: Need to know

  • Drake Maye looks to regain MVP form. Maye had a great chance to enhance his MVP candidacy against another top-tier contender -- Buffalo's Josh Allen -- last week, and through two quarters, he was taking advantage of it: 9 for 11 for 108 yards passing and 43 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He faded in the second half, though, going just 5 for 12 for 47 yards and an interception. Maye is crucial to the Patriots' offense with both his arm and his legs, but his accuracy was simply off in the second half, and he took a few sacks, too. The Ravens' defense has been playing much better of late, but Maye has a chance to get back on track.
  • Lamar Jackson finally hits the deep ball. Aside from his rushing numbers being way down, one of the biggest differences in Lamar Jackson's game this season compared to years past is his deep passing. Against the Bengals, though, Jackson went 4 for 6 for 82 yards, one touchdown and one interception on passes 10+ yards downfield, his best completion percentage on those throws since Week 3.
  • Defending the run will be key. The Patriots were one of the NFL's stoutest run defenses for most of this season. From Weeks 1-9, New England was seventh in defensive rushing success rate. Since then, though, it is dead last. That should mean opportunities for Derrick Henry who had 100 rushing yards on just 11 carries last week. On the other side, TreVeyon Henderson had 52- and 65-yard touchdown runs against the Bills last week and has come into his own over the past few weeks. His big-play ability looms large every time he's on the field.
  • It's a must win for the Ravens. At 7-7 and one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North (and trailing in the head-to-head tiebreaker), the Ravens essentially have their backs against the wall, and that will be especially true if Pittsburgh wins its afternoon game against the Detroit Lions. SportsLine currently gives Baltimore a 34% chance to win the division.

Ravens vs. Patriots pick, prediction

If this were last year's Derrick Henry, I'd be inclined to pick Baltimore given the Patriots' recent struggles stopping the run. But Henry simply hasn't looked the same this season, and as a result, the Ravens' offense hasn't looked close to the same. Add in Jackson's reluctance to run and struggles on deep passes, and it's been a hit-or-miss offense all season. The Patriots won't collapse two weeks in a row. Pick: Patriots +3, Over 48.5