The Ravens cruised past the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round with a dominant ground game, racking up 299 rushing yards without their top wide receiver, Zay Flowers. However, as Baltimore heads into a potentially high-scoring Divisional Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Flowers’ presence could be crucial to balance the offense.
While the Ravens remain cautious about Flowers’ availability, there’s hope he could suit up on Sunday night. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated that Flowers is trending toward a return but stopped short of a guarantee.
“I think Zay Flowers has a chance to be back for the game against the Bills,” Schefter said. “There’s no guarantees, and we’ll see how the week goes.”
Flowers has been a game-changer for Baltimore’s passing attack, leading the team with:
His ability to generate yards after the catch with elite speed and shiftiness makes him a nightmare for defenders. Flowers is the Ravens’ most dynamic receiver, offering a skill set that complements the team’s dominant rushing attack led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry.
While Baltimore leaned heavily on the run game against the Steelers, a matchup with the high-powered Bills offense could force the Ravens to take to the air more frequently. Adding Flowers back into the lineup would give Jackson his leading target and open up opportunities for other playmakers like Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Rashod Bateman, who scored a touchdown against Pittsburgh.
Buffalo’s defense, which heavily relies on nickel packages, has been vulnerable to play-action and quick passes, areas where Flowers thrives. His presence could be the difference in maintaining drives and finishing in the red zone.
Flowers has been recovering from a knee injury sustained in the regular-season finale. While he didn’t play against the Steelers, he’s reportedly progressing and could play without practicing fully if deemed healthy and safe. Head coach John Harbaugh has taken a wait-and-see approach, but the optimism from Schefter adds hope for Ravens fans.
If Flowers returns, he’ll provide a massive boost to a Ravens offense already firing on all cylinders. With Jackson playing at an MVP level and Henry running roughshod over defenses, the addition of Flowers could make Baltimore’s attack nearly unstoppable.
What do you think, Ravens fans? Will Zay Flowers make it back in time, and how big of an impact could he have? Let us know in the comments!