Patriots' fake punt backfires against Ravens: What went wrong?

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Patriots' fake punt backfires against Ravens: What went wrong?

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Mon, Dec 22, 2025 ·

2 min read

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BALTIMORE— The Patriots ’ special teams unit had been preparing for this moment all season.

On Sunday night, they opted to go for it.

At 2:01 of the third quarter, the Patriots called for a fake punt play in which Marte Mapu received the ball from long snapper Julian Ashby and then would throw the ball to a teammate for a first down.

Only, it didn’t turn out the way the Patriots had planned.

Instead, when Mapu received the ball, his intended target was covered by the Ravens’ special teams unit. Instead of a first down, Mapu kept the ball and was dropped at the line of scrimmage for a sack and a turnover on downs.

So what happened?

“We were just being a little bit more aggressive,” Mapu told MassLive. “Trying to make a play. That was it. They did a good job covering it up.”

Marte is the Patriots ’ punt protector, so he’s historically behind the line of scrimmage as the last line of defense on punter Bryce Baringer . That also makes him the perfect player to receive the snap when attempting a fake punt.

Mapu said he was supposed to throw the ball to the Patriots’ “backside guy.” Since that teammate was covered, the trick play didn’t work. Mapu added that the team had confidence in the play due to how much they worked on it this season.

“I think just like every other punt team, you’ve got to practice it for a minute before you put that confidence in it before you call it in a game,” Mapu said.

For the Patriots, the gamble didn’t pay off.

The Ravens took over at the 44-yard line and marched downfield, setting up a Derrick Henry 22-yard touchdown run to give Baltimore a 24-13 lead with 12:50 left on the clock. In the end, however, the Patriots battled back to win and secure a playoff spot despite the miscue on the fake punt.

“It’s a blessing. But the regular season isn’t over,” Mapu said. “We still have a lot we can go and achieve. Put ourselves in a better position for the future, but one week at a time.”

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