INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It can be easy to assume Zay Flowers is steadily gaining confidence as his first NFL season goes along.
You can assume that … if you haven’t been paying attention.
This is Flowers, the 23-year-old who after his first preseason NFL action said the game was faster than college “but not too much faster, though.” While it might be easy to presume that Flowers’ two-touchdown performance, which helped the Ravens prevail in a 20-10 slugfest with the Chargers, is a boost to his self-belief, it’s clear to those around him that he’s never lacked any in the first place.
“Do you think he came in with a short bit of confidence?” asked Nelson Agholor, incredulous. “This boy didn’t lack confidence. He knew what he was going to do when he got here.”
Flowers has a zeal that shines through, whether it’s his electric speed that he showcased on a game-clinching 37-yard run or the elusiveness that saw him slip between two tacklers on an 18-yard reception. His two touchdown celebrations Sunday evening — a bouquet toss and a penalty kick — dripped with theatrical flair.
The fact that he showed out against the Chargers, who went with 6-foot-4 receiver Quentin Johnston with the 21st overall pick in the NFL draft just ahead of him? A mere bonus. Johnston was held to just one catch for 7 yards, continuing a disappointing rookie campaign. One can only guess what Chargers front office officials were thinking watching Flowers run through their defense to drop them to 4-7.
Flowers isn’t becoming a headliner — “He is in a headlining role; he already was,” coach John Harbaugh insisted. And, for the Ravens to reach the heights they want to reach this season, he’ll need to keep shining — even brighter if possible.
If you take away Flowers’ two scoring plays, it was a brutal night for the Ravens’ offense. Once they got in Chargers territory, they stalled against a defense that is dead last in passing yards allowed. Baltimore managed just 177 passing yards and was held without points on four drives that ended on the Chargers’ side of the field.
Particularly frustrating: a 4-for-13 mark on third down conversions, an area where tight end Mark Andrews is especially missed. Lamar Jackson shivered at that underwhelming statistic.
“We’re gonna miss Mark regardless,” he said. “But I believe we can get it done regardless, because we’ve got great guys who stepped up.”
Indeed, second-year tight end Isaiah Likely was a factor for the Ravens. He had four catches on six targets for 40 yards, with some acrobatic leaps and even a cartwheel as he fought for extra yards.
But Flowers’ pure magic with the ball is something the Ravens were trying to home in on throughout the evening, giving him a team-high eight targets. The Chargers sniffed him out a few times on screens, but offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s faith in the rookie receiver was evident on the game-sealing score.
Flowers was a handoff option for Jackson on a jet sweep. Jackson saw Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack squeeze inside, bracing for Jackson to run the ball himself.
Flowers and Jackson have built a well of trust since their summer sessions in Florida. Jackson had no question that Flowers would do something special with the ball. “I just let Zay do his thing, and he did.”
There was still considerable resistance in Flowers’ way, including two-time All-Pro safety Derwin James. But a Gus Edwards chip was just enough to give Flowers the leverage to zip by. “Then I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s over for him,’” Flowers recalled thinking as he cut back.
The Ravens would have been just fine if Flowers had gone down with the ball, giving them the ability to run out the clock. Several defensive veterans later commented in the locker room that he probably should have, with Michael Pierce saying he was “happy but disappointed” because the Ravens cover situational football in team meetings. But it’s hard to get between Flowers and the end zone, as Chargers defensive back Deane Leonard can attest after stumbling trying to clutch the rookie’s shoelaces.
After Jackson poo-pooed his bouquet toss in a much-talked-about clip — and later described it as “ass” — Flowers offered a Cristiano Ronaldo-eque penalty kick and celebration with Odell Beckham Jr. diving as a hapless goalkeeper. Flowers would have unveiled that particular FIFA tribute in London when he scored his first career touchdown, he said, “but I got so excited I forgot.”
Celebrations might be the only nit that Ravens veterans have to pick about Flowers at this point. Beckham was particularly pleased to participate after his holding penalty wiped out a 68-yard touchdown reception against the Bengals in Week 11.
“It couldn’t have been a better stage for him to have that type of game,” Beckham said.
And the Ravens will need that electric edge, the what-will-he-do-next zigzagging Flowers provides. Although Jackson and Keaton Mitchell have helped give the Ravens’ ground game that unpredictability this season, Flowers’ open-field shiftiness is a needed X factor, an end zone threat no matter where Baltimore is on the field.
On a night when the offense largely underwhelmed, Flowers still shined.
And the best thing of all? It’s what everyone’s been expecting.
Baltimore Banner reporters Jonas Shaffer and Giana Han contributed reporting.
