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Quarterback Drake Maye led a game-winning drive as the Ravens collapsed again Sunday night, losing quarterback Lamar Jackson to a back injury, a double-digit fourth-quarter lead in Baltimore and control of their playoff future in a 28-24 defeat by the New England Patriots.

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson’s 21-yard touchdown run with 2:07 remaining put the Patriots (12-3) ahead for good. Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley, who replaced Jackson late in the second quarter, couldn’t lead a comeback, as wide receiver Zay Flowers lost a fumble in Ravens territory on the second play of the subsequent drive.

With the loss, the Ravens (7-8) need a win Saturday over the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field and a Steelers loss next Sunday to the Cleveland Browns to force a de facto AFC North title game in Pittsburgh in Week 18. The Steelers (9-6), who held on to edge the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon, handled the Browns in Pittsburgh earlier this season.

Even with Jackson sidelined, the Ravens took a 17-13 lead in the third quarter on Flowers’ 18-yard end-around score, then added to their advantage after stopping a fake punt on the Patriots’ subsequent possession. Running back Derrick Henry (18 carries for 128 yards and two touchdowns) rumbled in from 2 yards to extend the margin to 24-13 early in the fourth quarter.

Maye (31-for-44 for 380 yards, two touchdowns and an interception), a favorite for NFL Most Valuable Player honors, answered quickly. He found rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams down the right sideline, beating cornerback Marlon Humphrey on a go route, for a 37-yard touchdown. The drive, capped with a 2-point conversion, took just 3:49 off the clock.

Jackson (7-for-10 for 101 yards and two carries for 7 yards) left the game late in the second quarter after appearing to get hurt on a first-down read-option keeper. As he dove to the ground, Patriots safety Craig Woodson’s left knee collided with the left side of Jackson’s lower back. Jackson stayed in for a play before being replaced by Huntley (9-for-10 for 65 yards).

The game got off to an ideal start for the Ravens. Henry punctuated a 65-yard march on the opening drive with a 21-yard touchdown run, and Humphrey ended the Patriots’ subsequent drive with a red-zone interception.

But Henry fumbled in Patriots territory on the Ravens’ next drive — his first such error since the Week 3 prime-time loss to the Lions — and New England scored 10 unanswered points over its next two drives.

A field goal by Ravens kicker Tyler Loop evened the score, and a strip-sack by safety Ar’Darius Washington late in the second quarter kept the score tied entering halftime.

Home is where the hurt is

The Ravens needed a win Sunday night. They were favored to win. They were facing a banged-up, vulnerable Patriots team. And yet there were surely Ravens fans who had tickets to “Sunday Night Football” and thought, “You know what? I’m good.”

This Ravens team has given fans little reason to be optimistic. The Ravens have given fans even less reason to be optimistic about protecting M&T Bank Stadium.

They will finish the regular season 3-6, the most home losses in franchise history, including a handful of prime-time duds. With a win Sunday, the Ravens would’ve kept hope alive that they might return to Baltimore for a home playoff game. But the Patriots almost entirely snuffed out that hope. And somewhere there are Ravens fans grateful for this season and all its attendant miseries moving one step closer to the dustbin of history.

— Jonas Shaffer, Ravens reporter

Hold onto the ball

On Monday, I was asked what is one thing the Ravens need to do to beat the Patriots. I said, “Hold on to the ball.” And guess what the Ravens didn’t do? With the Ravens picking up momentum in the first half, Derrick Henry fumbled and the team struggled through the rest of that half. And then, with the game on the line, Zay Flowers fumbled away the team’s chance at a comeback.

The Ravens still have a chance to make the playoffs, as bleak as things seem. If they win out, and the Steelers lose the next game, the Ravens win the division with more wins over common opponents. And they also had encouraging stretches, particularly in the trenches with Henry rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns. But the positives might be offset by Lamar Jackson’s injury. However, even if he somehow returns to 100%, none of that matters if the Ravens can’t erase mistakes in critical moments.

— Giana Han, Ravens reporter

Maybe this is better for everyone

We knew at least a month ago it would not be the Ravens’ year. This game only hammered home the premise. Another game of Lamar Jackson not fully healthy, another game of losing a fourth-quarter lead, another game of fumbles from two of the key offensive players. If the Steelers win next week, the Ravens’ playoff hopes are cooked.

But what else would you expect from a team that was mediocre all season? Were you thinking this would be different after the Ravens clinched their first losing record at M&T Bank Stadium in 10 years? Whether it was cursed or merely underperforming, this team has been doomed for a long time. It just got exposed in Week 16 instead of the wild-card weekend in the playoffs — and maybe a quiet early exit is for the best for Baltimore.

— Kyle Goon, columnist

Microcosm of the season

All the things that have (so far) doomed the Ravens’ season wrecked their chances of winning Sunday night. Lamar Jackson couldn’t stay on the field. The pass rush couldn’t get home. The secondary couldn’t hold up against a high-level passer. The team’s best weapons were nowhere to be found when the game came down to the wire. Of all the sins the Ravens are guilty of, the last one might be the most damning. Keeping Derrick Henry on the sidelines in favor of Keaton Mitchell and Rasheen Ali was mind-boggling. Meanwhile, Rashod Bateman and Isaiah Likely combined for zero catches. This loss was as predictable as it was preventable.

— Paul Mancano, Banner Ravens Podcast co-host

Tough decisions loom

It’s tempting to be hysterical after a loss like that one — especially if it comes within the context of this sort of season. So let’s embrace it. The Ravens are technically alive in the playoff hunt, but what we know for sure is that this is not a disciplined, refined, tough or mature team. The coaching is lacking. The leadership is, too. The strategy often makes no sense. And somebody — that’s you, Steve Bisciotti — needs to figure out why and take action to change the momentum immediately and drastically.

— Chris Korman, editor