The Baltimore Ravens looked like a team on the rise not too long ago. After a midseason surge, they were right in the thick of the AFC playoff race.
But with two games left in the regular season, their momentum has hit a wall - and hard. Baltimore has dropped three of its last four, including a crushing Week 14 loss to the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
That defeat might end up being the one that seals their fate, as they now sit two games behind the AFC North lead with time running out.
What makes this late-season slide sting even more is how winnable those losses were. The Ravens didn’t get blown out - they beat themselves.
Sloppy execution, missed assignments, and untimely mistakes on both sides of the ball have turned close games into heartbreakers. And it’s not just the depth guys making these costly errors - it’s the stars, the leaders, the players Baltimore leans on when the stakes are highest.
One of those players is wide receiver Zay Flowers. Statistically, he’s having the best season of his young career.
Through 15 games, Flowers has hauled in 78 catches for 1,043 yards, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection. He’s been Lamar Jackson’s go-to target all year - a steady, explosive presence in an offense that’s lacked consistent playmakers in the passing game.
But for all the good, there’s been just as much frustration. Flowers has had a knack for showing up in the wrong kind of highlight - the kind that flips games in the other direction.
Let’s start with the positives. Outside of Derrick Henry, Flowers has been the most reliable weapon in this offense.
He’s topped 50 receiving yards in 12 of 15 games, and he’s done it while drawing top coverage week in and week out. The touchdown total - just three - isn’t eye-popping, but that’s more a reflection of how Baltimore operates in the red zone.
Between Henry’s power running and Mark Andrews’ presence over the middle, there just haven’t been a ton of red-zone looks for wideouts.
Still, reliability can’t just be about yardage - it’s about timing. And when the Ravens have needed Flowers most, his mistakes have been magnified.
He’s fumbled three times and dropped five passes this season, and the timing of those errors has been brutal. In Week 13 against the Bengals and Week 16 against the Patriots, Flowers fumbled on Baltimore’s final drives - both times with the Ravens trying to mount a comeback.
In Week 15 - ironically a game the Ravens did win over Cincinnati - Flowers deflected a pass that hit him square in the chest, resulting in an interception. Later in that same game, he dropped a touchdown that would’ve put the game out of reach.
To be clear, Flowers isn’t the reason Baltimore is struggling. If anything, he’s been one of the few bright spots in an offense that’s lacked consistent punch.
He brings speed, separation, and a playmaking ability that defenses have to respect. Jackson clearly trusts him, and that chemistry has been evident all season.
But there’s a difference between being productive and being clutch. And that’s where Flowers still has room to grow.
The Ravens have playoff aspirations - and beyond. If Flowers wants to be seen as a true No. 1 receiver, he has to deliver in the moments that define seasons.
The fumble at the goal line in the 2023 AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs still hangs over him. Fair or not, those moments stick. And until he can flip the script - until he can make the winning play in crunch time - that narrative will follow him.
Zay Flowers has the talent. That’s not in question. But if the Ravens are going to take the next step - and if he’s going to be the guy leading them there - he’ll need to clean up the mistakes that have turned potential wins into painful losses.