Baltimore Ravens stud WR Zay Flowers will not play this Wild Card weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Thursday afternoon. It’s a big loss for the Ravens and an advantage for the underdog Steelers heading into Saturday night’s game.
“We’ll move forward with the guys we have,” Harbaugh told reporters in announcing Flowers being ruled out.
Flowers suffered a knee injury midway through the Ravens’ Week 18 win against the Cleveland Browns after a defender landed on his leg at the end of a reception. Initially ruled questionable, he was downgraded to out for the rest of the game. Though Harbaugh noted the injury wasn’t season-ending early in the week, Flowers failed to practice Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, clear signs he wasn’t going to suit up this weekend.
The team leader in receptions and yards this season, Zay Flowers became the first Baltimore wideout to ever make the Pro Bowl. Without him, they’ll turn to the likes of Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, and Tylan Wallace at wide receiver while leaning on two talented tight ends in Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely and the NFL’s best running game. With a group of talented targets, QB Lamar Jackson finished the year with 41 touchdown passes and just four interceptions, only the second quarterback ever to have at least 40 scores and no more than five picks. Aaron Rodgers did the same in 2020.
Avoiding Flowers doesn’t make this a favorable matchup for Pittsburgh, but it does make things easier. In two games against the Steelers this season, Flowers combined for seven receptions, 129 yards, and one touchdown. In the rematch in which he caught five passes for 100 yards, he was effectively used over the middle of the field throughout the game.
The Steelers and Ravens kick off Saturday night at 8 PM/EST on Prime Video.
