Drake Maye threw for 259 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday as the New England Patriots held on for a 24-23 victory over the visiting Atlanta Falcons in Foxborough, Mass.
Maye also threw an interception, while Demario Douglas had 100 receiving yards and a score for the Patriots (7-2), who won their sixth straight.
Atlanta (3-5) had a chance to tie the game with 4:40 left, but kicker Parker Romo missed wide right on an extra point. Michael Penix Jr. threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns and Drake London had 118 receiving yards and three scores, as the Falcons dropped their third straight.
Holding a seven-point halftime lead, New England pushed the margin to 10 on Andy Borregales’ 32-yard field goal with 6:26 left in the third.
After an Atlanta punt, Jessie Bates III picked off Maye and returned it to Atlanta’s 49-yard line, eventually leading to Romo’s 38-yard field goal to cut the Falcons’ deficit to 24-17.
Following a New England punt, Atlanta drove 85 yards and scored on London’s one-handed catch on fourth-and-goal before Romo’s missed attempt.
Atlanta forced another Patriots punt, but the Falcons’ next drive ended with a punt of their own after a false start and intentional grounding at midfield.
Maye salted away the win with a 17-yard pass to Hunter Henry on third-and-five with 58 seconds left.
After an Atlanta three-and-out, New England pieced together a 10-play, 75-yard drive, finished with Maye’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Douglas with 7:44 left in the first quarter.
The Falcons responded after the Patriots’ first punt, with Penix throwing a 22-yard pass to Kyle Pitts and a 16-yard connection to London, which resulted in a 1-yard touchdown pass to London, tying the game at seven.
New England regained the lead on Terrell Jennings’ first career touchdown, a 3-yard rushing score at the 8:52 mark of the second quarter.
Following the Falcons’ third punt, Maye’s 58-yard pass to Douglas was followed by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs, giving the Patriots a 21-7 advantage.
Atlanta was the beneficiary of a massive turn of events in the final moments of the first half, as Jalon Walker stripped Maye and fellow Falcons rookie linebacker James Pearce returned the ball to the Patriots’ 6-yard line.
Two plays later, Penix found London for a 2-yard passing touchdown with 12 seconds left, cutting the Falcons’ halftime deficit to 21-14
