The Baltimore Ravens finally feel like this is their year. Despite recent playoff disappointments, excitement is high thanks to a four-game winning streak to end the season and quarterback Lamar Jackson putting forth his best season yet.
However, a Week 18 injury threatened those plans, with receiver Zay Flowers going down with a knee injury. He missed the Wild Card Round, but the Ravens powered through without him and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14.
The Divisional Round might not be as forgiving, so let’s take a look at Flowers and his status against the Buffalo Bills.
What Is Zay Flowers’ Injury?
During their Week 18 matchup against the Cleveland Browns to clinch the AFC North, the Ravens made sure to play their starters. Early in the game, though, with just one reception worth 12 yards to his name, Flowers went down with an apparent knee injury.
While he did not return to the game, the severity was still unclear. Head coach John Harbaugh labeled him week-to-week, but he did not practice ahead of the Wild Card Round.
Baltimore’s rushing offense led the way against the Steelers, rendering Flowers a brief afterthought thanks to the combined powers of Jackson and Derrick Henry.
With Rashod Bateman, Isaiah Likely, and Mark Andrews on the roster, the passing offense did enough to put the Steelers away.
Is Flowers Returning For Divisional Round vs. Buffalo?
Flowers’ status remained in question throughout the week. Last week, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Flowers was very sore but potentially able to return in the Divisional Round.
However, Flowers didn’t practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The Ravens have listed him as “doubtful” for Sunday’s game against the Bills.
While this is usually a sign that a player won’t suit up, Harbaugh provided a glimmer of hope for Baltimore fans.
“I think he’ll have a chance,” Harbaugh told reporters. Earlier in the week, the Ravens head coach said that Flowers could still play even if he didn’t practice all week, so the team is leaving the door open for a potential return even though he’s labeled doubtful.
It’s worth noting that while Flowers didn’t practice, he did go through an individual workout while Harbaugh and the Ravens’ medical staff watched closely.
Putting in work! @ZayFlowers pic.twitter.com/iwGUsLqGqs
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 17, 2025
If Flowers can’t play, Bateman will be asked to take on a bigger workload. Harbaugh made sure to get all of his receivers reps in practice in case Flowers couldn’t go or left the Divisional Round early.
“Hopefully, Zay will be able to go, but if not, we have a lot of really good players,” Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said on Thursday. “We really do. We’re fortunate. We have a lot of really good players, and we anticipate them playing well.”
Veteran tight end Mark Andrews echoed this sentiment.
“We have a bunch of depth and guys that can step up and make plays, and that are playing really good football,” Andrews said. “We’re counting on those guys to continue to make plays, step up, and fit in different roles to help this offense go.”
As a result, names like Tylan Wallace, Anthony Miller, and rookie Devontez Walker got some run at practice. Wallace and Miller both secured catches in the Wild Card win.
How Does Flowers Impact the Ravens?
On the year, Flowers tallied 1,059 yards and four touchdowns on just 74 receptions. In the process, he earned his first Pro Bowl selection, becoming the first Baltimore WR to make the Pro Bowl in franchise history. Jackson knows the impact Flowers brings and how much the offense has to overcome when he’s absent.
“It’s a huge challenge. That’s a guy been with us all season, been making things happen for us,” he said. “Him being him, what he brings to the game, it’s like, we going to miss that, but we got guys who are locked in and ready to step up to the plate for us.”
His play was critical for the Ravens, who the second-best offense in the league, according to PFN’s Offense+ metric. Their score of 93.4 (considered an A grade), trailed only the Detroit Lions. A 93.7 grade against the Steelers only emphasized the unit’s dominance.
Even though they escaped against Pittsburgh, a battle of the MVP candidates will require some more firepower for Baltimore. Thus, all eyes will be on Flowers when the football world descends upon Orchard Park.
