Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers had a nightmare drive during the second half of Sunday’s AFC Championship.
Flowers, a standout rookie, made a series of three potentially game-changing blunders on the same drive with the Ravens trying to rally from a 10-point deficit. First, after making a big catch and running it upfield for 54 yards, Flowers taunted Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed by standing over him and spinning the ball as he got up. The 15-yard penalty turned what would have essentially been first and goal at the 10 into a first down at the Chiefs’ 25-yard line.
Zay Flowers let him know 😳 pic.twitter.com/bEJvqyZQFc
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024
The Ravens did succeed in getting the yardage back, with Flowers doing the bulk of the work with another 14-yard grab. Lamar Jackson went back to him on second down from the Kansas City 9, and Flowers looked like he was about to score a touchdown as he dove for the end zone. Sneed, the same player Flowers had taunted just a few plays before, brilliantly punched the ball out of Flowers’ hands as he dove, forcing a fumble that the Chiefs recovered in the end zone.
What a play by Sneed to prevent the TD 🔥
📺: #KCvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/bFvdrGRl3I— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
Just to make things worse, CBS reporter Evan Washburn said Flowers appeared to cut his hand after the play while slamming it on the bench in frustration over his fumble.
Zay Flowers appeared to have cut himself reacting to his fumble, per @EvanWashburn. pic.twitter.com/yxmSPVVrii
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 28, 2024
A touchdown would have brought the Ravens to within 17-14. Even a field goal would have narrowed the Chiefs’ lead to 17-10. Instead, they got nothing, largely because Flowers kept shooting them in the foot.
Flowers was responsible for much of Baltimore’s offense, as the goal line fumble came on his fifth catch for 115 yards. He had the team’s only touchdown earlier in the game as well. Unfortunately, every good thing he did seemed to be followed immediately by something that undid the Ravens’ progress, and the fumble in particular felt like a major turning point in Baltimore’s comeback effort.
