There is no question that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens is bitter. That’s what makes moves like LB Patrick Queen signing with the Steelers in free agency such a headline grabber. So when the Steelers can boast an 8-1 record over the last nine meetings, you’d think it would cause more questions in the Ravens’ camp. But WR Zay Flowers doesn’t seem bothered by it.
“I don’t think there’s no trouble,” Flowers said during a Tuesday press conference via video from the Ravens’ YouTube channel. “I think we always have, I feel like turnovers, miss kicks, stuff like that during the game. So if we do eliminate those and, ’cause we move the ball downfield, I know you see that, right? We move the ball downfield, we get across the 50, you know what I’m saying? So we know we just gotta take care of the ball, make kicks, and try to put the ball in the end zone.”
Flowers focuses on the self-inflicted wounds, which makes sense. During the earlier matchup this season, Ravens K Justin Tucker missed two field goals. And the Steelers won by two points. So that’s easy to point to. And his teammate, S Kyle Hamilton, agrees.
“I think that just goes with any time you lose a game, penalties, lack of communication, that’s what loses you games,” said Hamilton Tuesday per video from Jerry Coleman of 100.7 The Bay in Baltimore. “Coach Harbaugh always tells us we have to learn how to not lose games before we can win games. It’s very true in this sport and you know, it’s stuff we have to clean up, and we know we will.”
There’s also a confidence and self-belief component as well. If you’re an athlete at the highest level like Flowers, you don’t want to believe that there is a team out there you can’t beat. So admitting that a team has your number could be seen as giving up before the ball is ever snapped.
But to say that the Steelers don’t give the Ravens any trouble at all? You don’t go 1-8 against a team without experiencing trouble from it. But Flowers doubled down when he was asked what the Steelers do to give him and the rest of the Ravens’ receivers difficulty, especially in terms of scoring.
“Nothing,” Flowers said. “They don’t really do nothing that stress me if I’m honest. It just, you have some games, and it all ended up being that game.”
Flowers did find the end zone against the Steelers in Week, but the Ravens as a whole only put up 16 points. It’s tough to win games when scoring that few points. And the Ravens usually don’t struggle to score. That’s the fewest points they’ve scored this season (and they’ve only been held to less than 20 points twice). It should be frustrating for offensive players who are used to putting up almost 30 points per game (29.9, to be exact).
Flowers’ quotes are a far cry from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s response when asked about the recent string of results. Despite the 8-1 record, Tomlin knows the Steelers still need to take the Ravens seriously and work hard to prepare for the game.
It appears that Zay Flowers doesn’t want to give the Steelers any flowers as a Ravens player. But only one win in the last nine matchups is a problem. Oh, and as for the move-the-ball downfield comment? The Ravens only had 205 passing yards against the Steelers in Week 11. That’s 50 yards fewer than QB Lamar Jackson’s season average. And per Pro Football Reference, the Ravens’ receivers dropped only two passes in that game. Flowers dropped one of those passes.
Flowers’ teammate, CB Marlon Humphrey, does not share his lack of stress when it comes to the Steelers. Humphrey says he’s tired of repeatedly ending up on the losing side. So just how these two Ravens players respond on the field Saturday will be very interesting to see.
