Ravens Star WR Misses Practice Again, Not Expected to Play vs. Steelers
Baltimore Ravens star wide receiver Zay Flowers missed his third straight practice of the week on Thursday and does not appear to be likely to play in the Wild Card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.
Flowers suffered a knee sprain in the Ravens’ Week 18 win over the Cleveland Browns. He left that game, did not return, and has not practiced since, though head coach John Harbaugh has been vague about his status for this weekend’s game against the Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium.
Reporters covering the team did not see Flowers at practice on Thursday.
“It’s not a season-ending injury,” Harbaugh said. “So it’s just going to be day-to-day, try to do everything he can do to get back as soon as he can and we’ll see where that takes us.”
Flowers has been by far the best passing threat for the Ravens this season. In 17 games, he has been targeted 116 times and caught 74 for 1,059 yards. Baltimore’s next-most prolific receiver, Rashod Bateman, has 756 yards. No other Ravens wide receiver has more than 250 yards this year.
Flowers was a big problem for the Steelers last time out. He caught five passes for 100 yards in the Ravens’ 34-17 win over the Steelers in Baltimore on Dec. 21. The Steelers have had top cornerback Joey Porter Jr. cover Bateman, a bigger and more physical player, instead of Flowers.
With Flowers likely out of the lineup, Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace could be in line for more targets at wide receiver, though Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore offense has ore frequently used its tight ends and running backs, with Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and second running back Justice Hill all representing big passing threats.
The Steelers played without starting strong safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Donte Jackson last time out against the Ravens and Porter suffered an injury in-game, leaving the Steelers with just one of their starting four secondary players in that contest. They appear that they’ll be playing with a full complement this week.
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