Zay Flowers avoids major injury, but could miss time in playoffs for Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens got the AFC North title, but it might have cost them one of their top offensive players.
Cleveland Browns v Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns v Baltimore Ravens / Greg Fiume/GettyImages
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The Baltimore Ravens locked up the AFC North title with a resounding 35-10 win over the lowly Cleveland Browns. But it might have cost them their top pass catcher. Zay Flowers suffered a knee injury during Saturday’s game in the first half that kept him out the rest of the game. 

According to Ian Rapoport, he possibly suffered a sprained knee and it could keep him out of next week’s playoff game. While it’s not a major injury, it’s not likely he plays in the first round. 

“I don’t have an update,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “It’s something he has a chance to be OK with, but we’ll probably have more details after an MRI (Sunday) morning.”

It’s a promising message from the coach as the Ravens are set to host a first round playoff game next week to kickoff the postseason. 

What does Zay Flowers injury mean for Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl hopes?

The Baltimore Ravens probably have the most pressure to win the Super Bowl this season. They have the defending NFL MVP in Lamar Jackson, who set another NFL record on Saturday. And they have Derrick Henry who’s been one of the best running backs all season. 

In just his second NFL season, Flowers eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards this year as Jackson’s top receiver. Obviously Mark Andrews is the big target Jackson loves to hit on big plays and in the red zone.

But missing Flowers for significant time is a hit to a passing offense that surpassed 4,000 yards. While Flowers has just four touchdown catches, what offers the passing game in between the 20 yard-lines is invaluable. 

The Ravens have to hope Flowers only misses next week. As the third seed, they’re currently projected to play either the Los Angeles Chargers or Pittsburgh Steelers. They should be fine against either team without Flowers. 

But the next round, without all their key players it gets a little tougher. Either way, the Ravens have to hope Flowers’ knee injury truly is a sprain he could rehab in a week. 

Baltimore got what they wanted in the division title on Saturday, but they may have lost one of their best offensive weapons. Good thing they still have Jackson and Henry. 

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