Ravens' Zay Flowers gets positive injury update, but Wild Card status in doubt
01/06/2025 12:19 PM
The Baltimore Raves still had business to attend to on Saturday, but for the most part it felt like they were basically going through the motions in their 35-10 win over a depleted Cleveland Browns team. With the win, the Ravens secured the AFC North title and at least one home playoff game.
The win was a relatively easy one, as the Ravens came into the game as three-touchdown favorites. After a rocky start, they quickly put the Browns away and eliminated any doubt about who would be the division champs. However, the game didn’t come without any downsides.
Wide receiver Zay Flowers injured his knee in the first half and did not return to the game, raising concerns about his availability for the playoffs. After undergoing further testing, it was revealed that Flowers has a knee sprain, which was a positive update. He may not be able to play in the first round of the playoffs, but he could make it back shortly after that according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.
“Ravens coach John Harbaugh calls WR Zay Flowers ‘day-to-day’ and clarifies that the injury is not season-ending,” Rapoport reported on X, formerly Twitter. “Sounds like it will be a challenge this week. But after that… possible.”
The Ravens will get their playoff run underway on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The longtime AFC North rivals split the season series, with the Ravens winning the most recent meeting 34-17.
Ravens need Zay Flowers as they get deep in the playoffs
The Ravens can probably survive one playoff round if Zay Flowers is sidelined, as they will be able to run the ball and Lamar Jackson an carry the offense through a game against a Steelers team that has been slumping lately.
If the Ravens advance, however, they will need Flowers back if they want to advance to the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. In all likelihood, the Ravens will have to play against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round, which is a game where they would need all of their weapons healthy and clicking to win. The Ravens crushed the Bills early in the season, but a rematch in Buffalo against one of the hottest teams in the NFL would be a heavyweight battle.
The Ravens’ receiving core is not built to withstand an injury to Flowers. He is their best separator and their most reliable wide receiver for Jackson to get the ball to. Even though Rashod Bateman has taken a step forward this season, the combination of him and Flowers has finally given Jackson a pair of receivers that he can trust. Losing Flowers would revert the offense back to something closer to what it was in past years with less talented pass catchers.
Derrick Henry and Jackson will still make this team very hard to stop on the ground, but Flowers raises the ceiling in the passing game for this Ravens team. Without that, Baltimore may not be able to reach its goals this postseason.
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