Even without Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens still have a receiver the Atlanta Falcons have to treat like a problem: Zay Flowers.
That’s the reality facing a Falcons secondary that has already been shaky through the first month. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions are giving up more passing yards per week, and while some individual work has been encouraging - most notably C.J.
Henderson in the absence of A.J. Terrell - the unit as a whole has not held up.
Now Atlanta gets a Week 5 test against Baltimore on Sunday Night Football, and Jackson has already been ruled out because of the ankle injury he suffered last weekend. Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, described as Kevin Stefanski’s old friend, will start in his place.
For the Falcons, that changes the shape of the challenge, but not the danger. Flowers remains the focal point of the passing game, and the Ravens will still look to get him the ball in space. Big plays are on the table, especially with Mike Hughes and Billy Bowman Jr. among the cornerback matchups he could see under the lights.
Flowers has been one of the NFL’s most productive receivers in 2026, and Atlanta cannot afford to treat him like a secondary concern just because Jackson is out. He has 352 receiving yards, which ranks eighth in the league, and he has done that while missing a game. If he had played all four weeks, he’d likely be sitting even higher.
He’s also averaging 19.6 yards per catch, good for fifth among all pass-catchers through four weeks. That’s the kind of number that tells you he’s more than just a chain-mover.
He can stretch the field, and he can do damage after the catch. Baltimore’s offense may lose some punch with Huntley at quarterback, but Flowers still gives them a player they can scheme touches for and trust to turn a routine play into something bigger.
The usage backs that up. Flowers is one of just seven pass-catchers with a target share above 30% this season, joining Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DeVonta Smith, Isaiah Likely, CeeDee Lamb, Brock Bowers, and Trey McBride per Hashtag Football. That kind of role says plenty about how Baltimore sees him: not as a gadget piece, but as a central piece of the offense.
According to Ryan Mink, here is Flowers' formation alignment on the season:
That versatility is part of what makes him hard to handle. He doesn’t live in one fixed spot the way Drake London does for Atlanta as the team’s “X” receiver. Baltimore moves him around and forces defenses to adjust, because he’s dangerous enough with the ball in his hands to make the movement worthwhile.
If the Falcons want to shadow him, rookie Avieon Terrell would likely have to handle him both in the slot and on the boundary. That would be a tall order for a rookie, even one with the flexibility to play inside and out. A more realistic setup would be Bowman on him in the slot, with Terrell or Henderson taking him when he lines up outside.
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The appeal is obvious for a Falcons team trying to build on its recent surge without losing sight of the bigger picture. Clowney has been active in two games this season, and with the deadline approaching, Atlanta is the sort of team that has to weigh whether a push for immediate help is worth the cost. Houston would be the club to move him, and the market could get interesting quickly if the Falcons decide they want to make a stronger play. [Read more 🡒]