The Ravens are heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Saints already shorthanded, and the biggest hit is at wide receiver. Baltimore ruled out Zay Flowers, its most productive pass catcher, after listing him as doubtful earlier in the week because of a left hamstring injury.
Flowers aggravated the injury in the Ravens’ season-opening 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He sat out Baltimore’s first two practices of the week, then returned in a limited role Friday before the team shut the door on his availability Saturday and downgraded him to out.
That leaves Lamar Jackson without one of his most dangerous targets. Flowers has been a centerpiece of the passing game, piling up 91 catches for 1,361 yards over his last 18 games. By comparison, Baltimore’s other wideouts have combined for just 55 receptions and 814 yards in that same span, a pretty clear snapshot of how much the offense has leaned on him.
The Ravens will also be missing Ja’Kobi Lane, who is on injured reserve with a wrist injury. So Baltimore will be down two of its top three receivers against New Orleans.
That puts more on the shoulders of the rest of the room. Rashod Bateman enters Sunday as the most experienced receiver working with Jackson, while LaJohntay Wester, Devontez Walker, Elijah Sarratt and Chris Moore are all candidates for bigger roles.
Coach Jesse Minter pointed to the opener as proof that opportunities are there if the receivers stay sharp.
“I think the first game was a great example that the ball can really go anywhere in our offense,” Minter said. “Just being very precise, being very detailed, being in the right spot, the ball can find you.”
Baltimore’s injury list doesn’t stop there. The team placed cornerback T.J.
Tampa on injured reserve with a knee injury and promoted linebacker Carl Jones to the 53-man roster. Offensive tackle Gerad Lichtenhan was elevated from the practice squad as well.
That move may matter even more if starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley can’t go. Stanley is questionable with a toe injury, and if he sits, Carson Vinson could be in line for his first career start.
So the Ravens could be dealing with a missing No. 1 receiver and uncertainty on the left side of the line all at once. Sunday may tell a lot about how much depth this offense really has.
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Saints Face A Familiar Name With A Bigger Role This Time
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This time, though, he arrives with a much larger voice in Baltimore. The Ravens hired Doyle this offseason to be their offensive play-caller, and the matchup adds another layer of familiarity for a Saints team preparing to see an old employee with a new mandate. It is the kind of quiet subplot that can matter when game plans start getting trimmed down and every coaching tendency becomes part of the chess match. [Read more 🡒]