Lamar Jackson and the Ravens went 12-5 in 2024. That was enough to win the AFC South and the right to host a playoff game in the wildcard round. Last weekend, Baltimore hosted their division rival, the Steelers. Pittsburgh was no match for the Ravens offensively who had 299 rushing yards.
It was an all-around dominant performance from Baltimore. In the divisional round, the Ravens have a rematch of a game they played earlier this season. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills were on the road in Week 4 to face the Ravens and lost 35-10. The Bills are hoping for a different outcome this weekend. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that WR Zay Flowers (knee) is likely out again for the divisional round. That would be his second straight game missed.
Chances are Zay Flowers doesn’t play this weekend vs. the Bills
From @GMFB: It’s looking like no Zay Flowers (knee) for the #Ravens this week, while #Texans RB Joe Mixon is believed to have a real shot to play on Saturday vs the #Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/nSAAUtLXM8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2025
The 2024 season was Zay Flowers’ second year with the Ravens. He was the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Boston College. As a rookie, Flowers started and played in 16 of 17 games for the Ravens. In his first season, he finished with 77 catches for 858 yards and five receiving touchdowns. Flowers also had eight carries for 56 yards and one rushing touchdown. During his sophomore season in 2024, Flowers took a massive leap for the Ravens.
He was Lamar Jackson’s go-to WR the entire season. In 15 starts, Flowers finished with 74 catches for a career-high 1,059 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The 24-year-old was the first WR in franchise history to be voted to the Pro Bowl in 2024. Unfortunately, Flowers suffered a knee injury in Week 18 vs. the Browns. Flowers hasn’t practiced in over two weeks. Without the young WR, players like Isaiah Likely and Nelson Agholor need to step up their game. Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman have been part of the offense all season. The last time Baltimore played Buffalo, Derrick Henry had 199 rushing yards and a touchdown. He had 186 last week vs. the Steelers. We’ll see if the Bills can find a way to slow down the Ravens’ offense on Sunday night.
