Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens could get wide receiver Zay Flowers back if they advance to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.

Flowers has been ruled out of the Ravens' Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a knee injury. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the Pro Bowler has an "outside chance" at being ready for the Divisional Round.

Zay Flowers is out tonight but has an outside chance of playing in the Divisional Round should the Ravens move on, per @RapSheet. pic.twitter.com/V8P0YCV9sZ

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 11, 2025

"From what I am told he does at least have an outside chance of being back on the field next week," Rapoport said. "No surgery is needed. It is just rehab for Flowers."

Flowers suffered the injury in Week 18 against the Cleveland Browns.

When Flowers was ruled out, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh left the door open for his return the following week and said that the receiver was "locked in on his rehab."

"Zay Flowers is not going to be able to make it to the game this week," Harbaugh said per Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com. "So he'll get started again next week and we'll move forward with the guys we have and we're excited about the guys we have, which is everybody else. He's locked in on his rehab. He's locked in. Every time I walk in there, he's in there working on it. We'll see how it looks next week."

Flowers had 74 catches for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. He was the first Raven to have over 1,000 receiving yards in a season since 2021 and was the first Raven wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl in franchise history.

He played a major role in Baltimore's Week 16 victory over the Steelers, making five catches for 100 yards. In the Wild Card matchup against Pittsburgh, Baltimore will hope Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews can pick up the slack.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced Thursday that wide receiver Zay Flowers will not play in Saturday night's AFC Wild Card Round playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a knee injury.

Coach Harbaugh announces WR Zay Flowers will not play this weekend. pic.twitter.com/3Ky3jYGfHY

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 9, 2025

Flowers, who has not practiced this week, suffered the injury during the Ravens' 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, which clinched the AFC North title and the No. 3 seed in the AFC.

The second-year wideout was named a Pro Bowler for the first time this season after leading the Ravens with 74 receptions for 1,059 yards to go along with four touchdowns.

Baltimore selected Flowers with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Boston College, and he made an instant impact as a rookie, leading the team with 77 catches for 858 yards, while also scoring five times.

As the Ravens' top wideout, Flowers played a sizable role in quarterback Lamar Jackson winning his second career NFL MVP Award.

Jackson's statistical output as a passer took a big leap forward this season, as he threw for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions, putting him in the thick of the NFL MVP race again with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

With Flowers out on Saturday, the Ravens' wide receiver depth will be put to the test in a big way.

Rashod Bateman will slide into the top spot after setting career highs with 756 yards and nine touchdowns, but the next most productive wide receiver on the roster after him was Nelson Agholor, who had 14 grabs for 231 yards and two scores.

Jackson figures to lean heavily on the tight end duo of Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, plus the gameplan will undoubtedly feature plenty of running back Derrick Henry, who rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns during the regular season.

The Steelers and their stout defense have had more success than any other team against Jackson during his career. He has a record of just 3-5 against Pittsburgh, while completing 57.9 percent of his passes for 1,284 yards, eight touchdowns and nine picks.

After falling 18-16 to Pittsburgh on the road in Week 11, Jackson threw for 207 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in a 34-17 road win over the Steelers in Week 16.

However, Flowers was a huge part of the Ravens' offensive success in that game, finishing with 100 yards on five catches.

While the Steelers enter the playoffs on a four-game losing streak compared to the Ravens riding a four-game winning streak, Flowers' absence could be the type of factor that helps even the odds.

Myles Garrett hyped up rookie Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Roger Rosengarten in a mid-game interaction caught on camera and shared on NFL Films and HBO's Hard Knocks.

"I know I'm a nobody but, if I could get that jersey after?" Rosengarten asked the Cleveland Browns star when the teams met up on Jan. 4.

"Hey, you're in the league. Y'all winning games. Y'all looking great. You ain't never a nobody," Garrett responded. "I got you."

Roger Rosengarten: "I know I'm a nobody... but could I get that jersey after?"

Myles Garrett's response is so pure 🥹 #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/8mVCIkMhXx

— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2025

Garrett put himself on pace for a sixth Pro Bowl nod by leading the NFL with 22 tackles for loss this season.

Rosengarten meanwhile became a key part of the Ravens' offensive line while playing 84 percent of offensive tackles his rookie season.

He was regularly matched up with Garrett as the Ravens looked to clinch the AFC North title and turned out to be an effective counter. Garrett was held to two tackles, and one for loss, in the Browns' 35-10 loss.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson meanwhile avoided taking a sack as he threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 63 yards in the Baltimore win.

Rosengarten, who was selected by the Ravens out of Washington in the second round of the 2024 draft, said before his rookie season that he was excited to "be going against the best of the best within the Ravens organization, and then the rest of the division."

"There's some freak athletes out there, and I think those guys on the edge are definitely top of the pedestal when it comes to that," Rosengarten said on the Ravens' official podcast in May. "I just love the challenge, though. Want to bring it every single day."

There's no question that one of the top edge rushers in the AFC North was Garrett, who entered the season as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

After allowing a sack by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones on his first NFL snap, Rosengarten has developed throughout his rookie season to the point where he can take on top players like Garrett.

For the third consecutive year, NFL players let their voices be heard on who's the best in the league at each position.

The NFLPA released its third annual Players' All-Pro team on Wednesday with the likes of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase leading the way:

The players release their annual All-Pro teams. https://t.co/J7X33mKkSR pic.twitter.com/bdto6EHeUn

— Mike Jones (@ByMikeJones) January 8, 2025

A two-time NFL MVP, Jackson is in the running to add a third award to his mantle after another incredible season. He tied for second in the NFL with a career-high 41 touchdown passes while throwing just four interceptions, his lowest mark since he threw three picks in his rookie year while seeing limited action. He completed 66.7 percent of his passes for a career-high 4,172 yards and also added 915 rushing yards and four more scores.

In his first year with the Eagles, Barkley put forth the best year of his career and became just the ninth running back in NFL history to record a 2,000-yard season. He led the league with 345 carries and 2,005 yards while adding 13 touchdowns, and he likely would've had the chance to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards if he didn't rest during the regular-season finale against the New York Giants, his former team.

Chase led the NFL with 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, becoming the fifth player ever to achieve the receiving triple crown. The 24-year-old, who is in line for a monster contract extension this offseason, joined Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992), Steve Smith (2005) and Cooper Kupp (2021) as the only players to accomplish the feat.

NFLPA president JC Tretter explained the necessity of the players voting for their own All-Pro team as part of the release of the inaugural list following the 2022 regular season.

"We compete against each other all season long, watching hours and hours of film week after week after week, and yet we have never had an opportunity to truly use our expertise to select the best of us," Tretter stated in a release. "We think it is important that players take the time to define ourselves, because so far, we have allowed everyone else to either pick or dilute our voices."

There's no question the Baltimore Ravens got better when Derrick Henry joined the team this offseason, but the star running back said his outstanding season shouldn't take away from what quarterback Lamar Jackson has done this year.

"You can put anybody by Lamar, and they're going to have a hell of a year," Henry said. "It's just the type of player that he is. My success shouldn't knock his, or vice versa.

"Lamar is the main reason why I came here. It was to play with a Hall of Fame quarterback... He's the best player in the league, and it's only going to get better from here. What I've done shouldn't hurt him. He's helped me even more."

Derrick Henry's response to people who use him to argue against Lamar Jackson's MVP case:

"You can put anybody by Lamar, and they're going to have a helluva year. It's just the type of player that he is. My success shouldn't knock his, or vice versa.

"Lamar is the main reason… pic.twitter.com/eSCqY89yCt

— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 7, 2025

Henry has had one of the best seasons of his career, racking up 1,921 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. Likewise, Jackson has had a career year with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions along with 915 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

Some questioned before the season if the pairing of Jackson and Henry would work, and they've quickly shown that it does.

Now the duo will look to lead Baltimore through the playoffs as both Henry and Jackson seek their first Super Bowl appearances. The Ravens will begin their quest toward the Super Bowl on Saturday when they face division rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

As great of a career as Lamar Jackson has had, he's struggled in the playoffs.

Jackson is 2-4 in the postseason and has made it past the divisional round just once, last season when the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship. The two-time MVP said in the past he struggled to keep his composure in high-stakes postseason games.

"I'd just be too excited," Jackson told reporters on Tuesday. "That's all. Too antsy. I'm seeing things before it happened, like, 'Oh, I got to calm myself down.' But just being more experienced, I've found a way to balance it out."

Jackson is outstanding at playing mistake-free football, but that reputation hasn't followed him into the playoffs as he produced six interceptions and three lost fumbles in his six playoff games. Jackson said he needs to be "mistake-free" in the playoffs this year to avoid the same issues he's dealt with in the past.

This season, Jackson has thrown for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He has a 119.6 quarterback rating, the fourth-best ever in a season. Amid the best season of his career, Jackson can add to it with an impressive postseason, which he hopes will end with a Super Bowl.

His quest toward his first championship will start on Saturday in the wild-card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Zay Flowers seemingly has a new haircut ahead of the playoffs.

The Baltimore Ravens wide receiver teased his new look on Instagram, posting a photo holding a big chunk of his hair and indicating that he went with a shorter look.

First Derrick Henry, now Zay Flowers pic.twitter.com/saEtb1WMvx

— The Ravens Realm (@RealmRavens) January 6, 2025

Flowers could be following in the footsteps of another Ravens star, as running back Derrick Henry got a dramatic haircut during Baltimore's bye week in December.

Ravens RB Derrick Henry with a new look pic.twitter.com/noTXTscKes

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) December 9, 2024

Perhaps the new look will give Flowers some additional confidence as he looks to put together a big postseason.

Flowers, a second-year receiver out of Boston College, put together a strong sophomore season. After posting 858 receiving yards and five touchdowns his rookie year, Flowers had 1,059 yards and four touchdowns on 74 receptions this year.

He once again led the Ravens' wide receiver room and was a major factor in quarterback Lamar Jackson's MVP-caliber season. Flowers will look to continue playing well in the playoffs as the Ravens look to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in the Jackson era.

They've got a tall test on Saturday as they take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round. The Steelers got the best of Baltimore in November, but the Ravens evened the season series with a win in December.

Now, they'll look to take down their division rival to punch a ticket to the divisional round.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson capped his 2024 season with 217 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and 63 rushing yards in a 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

After the game, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave lofty praise to Jackson, who is in a two-man race with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen for the MVP award.

"He's just one of a kind. There's nobody like Lamar Jackson," Harbaugh said, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "He's in the locker room, and he's not happy about the last drive ... he wants everything to be perfect, everything. That's why these numbers are the way they are, because of who he is."

Jackson finishes the regular season with 41 touchdowns (four interceptions) and 4,172 passing yards on a 66.7 percent completion rate. He also added 915 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He's the only player in NFL history to accomplish both 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards during a season, and he just did so in the same year.

Consider that he accomplished those feats while throwing more than 10 times as many touchdowns as interceptions, and he really is one of a kind. That could all be good enough for a third NFL MVP award.

But Jackson and the Ravens are obviously shooting for a far greater accomplishment, the Lombardi Trophy. With the win, the Ravens clinched the AFC North title and the No. 3 seed. They now await the Pittsburgh Steelers or Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Divisional Round.

Derrick Henry is all in on a third MVP for Lamar Jackson.

The Baltimore Ravens running back responded to a post on X by former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III. In the post, Griffin said that "discrediting" Jackson because of Henry's dominance is incorrect and that the two enhance each others play.

Henry quoted the post and first corrected Griffin's initial misspelling of his name before declaring that he is "screaming MV3 over this way."

First of all bruh spell my name right lol (Derrick Henry) & WE SCREAMING MV3 OVER THIS WAY ! https://t.co/3nSdlmu8qj

— Derrick Henry  (@KingHenry_2) January 5, 2025

Henry is in his first season with Jackson and the Ravens and helped lead the team to a 12-5 season.

Henry signed a two-year, $16 million contract with Baltimore last offseason and has added significant explosiveness to a team that was led by Jackson in rushing in 2023. He rushed for 1,921 yards with 16 touchdowns in his first season.

Despite Henry's presence, Jackson actually exceeded his rushing totals from 2023 with 915 yards and four touchdowns. He threw for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns with just four interceptions and has a strong case to earn a second consecutive MVP.

While adding another trophy would be an accomplishment for Jackson, he, Henry and the Ravens will now shift focus to their Wild Card Round playoff matchup and the hopes of a sustained playoff run.

For the second straight season, the Baltimore Ravens have won the AFC North.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens clinched a division title with a 35-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, ensuring that they'll host at least one playoff game.

Back-to-back 👑 pic.twitter.com/F63v2H7W2R

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 5, 2025

Baltimore's defense set the tone early with a pick six by cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first quarter, eventually jumping out to an 11-point halftime lead that the team wouldn't relinquish for the rest of the contest.

Nate Wiggins takes his first career interception to the crib!

📺: #CLEvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/X7qwgp4NiS

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2025

Jackson capped off his incredible regular season with another strong performance, finishing 16-of-32 for 217 yards and two touchdowns against Cleveland. He also picked up 63 rush yards on nine attempts and didn't commit a turnover.

LAMAR’S 41ST TD PASS OF THE YEAR 😤

(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/h7w5C4VpCs

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 4, 2025

Lamar knew 🥶😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/FrMkGUhHYX

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2025

The 27-year-old has now scored multiple touchdowns in six consecutive games.

Jackson also became the first player in NFL history to surpass 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in the same season.

Lamar Jackson is the first player in NFL HISTORY with over 4,000 yards passing and 800 yards rushing in a single season 🔥 @Ravens @Lj_era8 pic.twitter.com/Kv3tM02w9d

— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2025

The two-time MVP showed why he's a serious contender to win the award once again, leaving fans and pundits amazed by his latest outing.

Lamar Jackson now has 40 TD and 4 INT on the season

MV3??? 👀 pic.twitter.com/OJ6ejjPeVb

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) January 4, 2025

2x MVP.
Lamar Jackson.
Should be 3x.
pic.twitter.com/BEVXAMKvwU

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 4, 2025

Lamar Jackson is now the first player in NFL history with 40+ passing TD and under 5 interceptions in a single season.

A 41-4 TD: INT ratio.

Absurd season.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 5, 2025

Nobody is throwing the ball better than Lamar Jackson this season

— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) January 4, 2025

Lamar Jackson's final numbers on the season: 4,172 passing yards. 41 TD passes. 4 INTs. 915 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs.
He won't break the all-time passer rating mark (had a 90.2 rating today), but an unreal regular for Jackson.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) January 5, 2025

Lamar Jackson is the first QB in NFL history with 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a single season

History breaker, history maker pic.twitter.com/Qmi8QzoO9W

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) January 4, 2025

40 passing touchdowns.
4000+ passing yards.
800+ rushing yards (4 away from 900).

first player in NFL history to do so. lamar jackson.

— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) January 4, 2025

An impressive mark for Lamar Jackson ...

With 41 TD passes and 4 interceptions, Jackson is the first player in NFL history to throw 40 TD passes and fewer than 5 interceptions in a single season

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 5, 2025

Derrick Henry also made his presence felt, rushing for 138 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.

KING. HENRY. 👑

📺: #CLEvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/IVEuCo53Mm

— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

Baltimore contained both of Cleveland's quarterbacks that suited up in the contest, as Bailey Zappe and Dorian Thompson-Robinson combined to finish 18-of-34 for 174 yards and a touchdown compared to two interceptions.

BIG BIG MAN INT! Michael Pierce drops and coverage at 355 pounds and picks it off!

📺: #CLEvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/sjMZjhmPuu

— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

The Ravens finished the regular season with a record of 12-5, marking the fourth year that they've won a division title since Jackson's rookie season in 2018.