The Green Bay Packers have a clear mission heading into Week 17: beat-or even just tie-the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field, and they’re in the playoffs. It’s that simple. But beyond the postseason implications, there’s a compelling subplot that adds some personal stakes to Saturday’s showdown.
Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be reunited with a familiar face-one he knows all too well. Baltimore’s electric wide receiver Zay Flowers, a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the most dynamic young playmakers in the league, spent three seasons under Hafley’s watch at Boston College. And while there’s plenty of mutual respect between coach and player, make no mistake: Hafley’s job this weekend is to stop his former star.
“It makes me extremely proud to see,” Hafley said of Flowers’ rise to NFL stardom. “But now we’re gonna do everything we can to stop him.”
That’s easier said than done.
Flowers has blossomed into a legitimate threat in Baltimore’s offense. After a standout college career that saw him rack up over 3,000 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns at Boston College-including a 1,077-yard, 12-touchdown senior season-he made the leap to the NFL in 2023 as a first-round pick. Since then, he’s only gotten better.
Now in his third year, Flowers has already crossed the 1,000-yard mark this season, hauling in 78 catches for 1,043 yards on 107 targets. While he’s only found the end zone twice in 2025, his impact goes far beyond the stat sheet. He’s a route technician with after-the-catch burst, and his chemistry with Lamar Jackson has helped stretch defenses thin all year long.
That is, assuming Jackson plays.
The Ravens quarterback is currently dealing with a back issue, and his status for Saturday remains in question. If he’s sidelined, that changes the calculus for Green Bay’s defense. Jackson’s dual-threat ability is a headache for any coordinator, and without him, Baltimore’s offense becomes a little more predictable-even with Flowers on the field.
Still, the Packers can’t afford to bank on that. Whether it’s Jackson under center or a backup, Flowers will be a focal point. Green Bay’s secondary will need to stay disciplined, and Hafley will likely mix in plenty of bracket coverage and disguised looks to try to neutralize his former pupil.
It’s a chess match wrapped in a playoff-clinching opportunity. And for Jeff Hafley, it’s also a full-circle moment-watching a player he helped mold become one of the league’s best, and now game-planning to slow him down.
The stakes are high. The emotions will be real. But come Saturday, it’s all business at Lambeau.