Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers fumbled at the goal line in the fourth quarter when they trailed by 10; he was defiant, saying that he won’t let it break him. Largely up until that point, he was having a game to remember. The rookie first-round pick finished with five catches for 115 yards and already had one touchdown before the fumble.
Having already scored from 30 yards out in the first quarter, Flowers was looking for a second touchdown. As he approached the goal line, Kansas City Chiefs CB L’Jarius Snead punched the ball out of his outstretched hands. And suddenly it was still 17-7 with the Ravens defense on the field.
“It’s just a moment”, he said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “It is going to make or break you. I don’t plan on letting it break me”. He did punch the bench in frustration afterward, cutting his hand. But he cooled down after that.
It didn’t help matters that he had a personal foul penalty earlier in the drive that negated part of a big play. The Ravens would have had first and goal but instead had to back up 15 yards. Flowers shoved a defensive back’s shoulder and pinned him to the ground after making the catch over him, then stood over him in a taunting fashion.
He could have made up for it by getting into the end zone shortly thereafter. This was near the top of the fourth quarter, so the Ravens would have only had a three-point deficit to overcome instead. QB Lamar Jackson may not have been pressured into throwing an interception on the next drive, knowing that a field goal would have tied the game.
It would be going too far to say that he lost the game, of course. Or at least it would have been unfair. He was the only thing going right for the Ravens for much of the game offensively. Jackson played well, by and large, but they weren’t producing points. Losing a fumble in the end zone didn’t help.
The truth is, Flowers has the makings of potentially the best wide receiver the Ravens have ever drafted. That’s a low bar, granted. But as a rookie, he caught 77 passes for 858 yards and five touchdowns. And he added nine catches for 156 yards and a touchdown in two playoff games. He scored a rushing touchdown as well.
He suffered a couple of crucial lapses in judgment in that game, but his talent is undeniable. Fans of the other AFC North teams should certainly be concerned. He could be the key to unlocking Jackson’s full potential as a passer.
