The New England Patriots punched their first playoff ticket in four years Sunday night, slamming the door on Baltimore with a clutch late touchdown drive and a game-sealing turnover on Sunday Night Football.
The 28–24 win vaulted New England to 11–3 and kept them perfect away from Foxborough. 7–0 on the road, the last unbeaten road team left in the league. Handle business against the Jets and Dolphins over the final two weeks, and the Pats are staring at their first AFC East crown since 2019.
After falling behind 24–13 in the fourth quarter, New England flipped the script. A Zay Flowers fumble gave the Patriots the ball. And they never gave it back, draining the clock to ice a statement comeback.
Gritty. Clutch. Playoff-bound.
Mack Hollins Goes Viral With ‘#MackHacks’ During Patriots’ Playoff Prep
The Pats still control their destiny for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, while Baltimore is officially in scoreboard-watch mode. As New England gears up for a playoff push, and a date with the Jetes, wideout Mack Hollins is winning the bye-week vibes battle off the field.
During some downtime, Hollins went viral after Major League Football shared a clip tagged #MackHacks, featuring the veteran receiver delivering a surprisingly elite tutorial on how to properly fold jeans. The caption said it best”TRENDING: New England wide receiver Mack Hollins posted a TikTok video on how to properly fold your pants. Will completely change your life.”
TRENDING: New England #Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins posted a TikTok video on how to properly fold your pants.#MackHacks Will completely change your life.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 23, 2025
The Patriots walked out of Baltimore with a statement win, but it came with a cost. Seven players didn’t finish the game due to injury, and that list doesn’t even include rookie left guard Jared Wilson, who logged every snap but landed in concussion protocol, along with TreVeyon Henderson and Kayshon Boutte.
If Boutte and Demario Douglas can’t go, New England still has bodies. Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism headline the WR room, with Jeremiah Webb and John Jiles waiting on the practice squad.
That said, the math gets tricky. Only two practice-squad elevations are allowed, meaning the Pats could be forced into some roster gymnastics. Including potential IR stints (four-game minimum) or tough roster cuts, to keep the depth chart functional heading into January.
One thing hasn’t changed? The AFC East carousel. Since the Pats last saw the Jets in November, the rosters look mostly familiar. And eight players currently in the mix have worn both uniforms at some point in their NFL journeys. Same division, same chaos, new stakes.