Zay Flowers hasn’t hit the practice field all week, and the Baltimore Ravens offense is already feeling the hit as they prep for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. Their season-opening 41-point outburst against the Indianapolis Colts might have come at a steep cost, and now their star wideout is looking seriously doubtful for Week 2. Flowers, battling a hamstring injury, has missed practice Wednesday and Thursday. If he logs a third DNP to close out the week, his chances of suiting up against the Saints are going to be bleak.
The Flowers Effect Was Real, And Now It’s Gone?
This isn’t just some casual injury, either. Flowers was in the middle of an absolute monster performance in Week 1 before he even left the game. The dude piled up a career-best 150 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches in just the first two quarters! Think about that, 150 yards in half a game! It’s no coincidence the Ravens scored 31 of their 41 points in the first half, before Flowers exited. After he left, the offense came back down to Earth. This guy is a two-time Pro Bowler, and he just signed a massive four-year, $140 million contract extension in the offseason, making him the fourth-highest paid wide receiver in the entire NFL. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was already unlocking new levels in his game, too. Next Gen Stats showed only 17 of Flowers’ 150 yards came from wide alignment. Doyle placed him out wide on just 36.4% of snaps against the Colts, way down from his career rate of 67.7%, and it totally paid off in that dominant first half. Missing him for even one game is a serious gut punch to what looked like a new-look, high-flying offense.
Who’s Left Standing to Catch Passes for Lamar?
Talk about being thin at wideout, huh? Not only is Flowers’ status in doubt, but rookie Ja’Kobi Lane is already ruled out for Week 2, landing on injured reserve with a broken wrist. Those two absences mean the Ravens are going to be leaning hard on other guys. Superstar running back Derrick Henry showed in Week 1 he can still put an offense on his back, punching in three touchdowns. He could feast against a New Orleans team that just gave up 156 yards and two touchdowns to the Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs. But you still gotta pass the ball, right? Tight end Mark Andrews suddenly becomes a massive focal point. He finished second on the team last week with four receptions and has the most rapport with quarterback Lamar Jackson out of all the available targets. At wide receiver, it’s journeyman Chris Moore as the next man up. After starting the season on the practice squad, Moore was active for Week 1 and hauled in one catch.
So heading into Sunday against the Saints, the question isn’t just *if* Flowers plays, but *who* even has a chance to fill those massive shoes. It’s going to be a wild watch to see if Lamar Jackson and the rest of the offense can keep that Week 1 momentum without their primary weapon.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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