Lamar Jackson Send 5-word Tough Message to Ravens Rookie

Some individuals are hard to satisfy, as evidenced by the situation with Zay Flowers, the rookie wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. In Week 12’s victorious 20-10 match against the Los Angeles Chargers, Flowers celebrated his first NFL game with two touchdowns. However, quarterback Lamar Jackson’s expectations exceed that achievement.

Jackson communicated through the media, as reported by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, expressing a desire for more from Flowers: “We need a lot more, if anything. I’ve been waiting on him to score multiple times in a game.”

Maintaining high standards is crucial for Jackson in motivating Flowers and the rest of the team.

 

 

Nevertheless, the Ravens are experiencing a faster-than-anticipated payoff from their selection of Flowers as the 22nd pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Flowers is evolving into a versatile playmaker, effectively contributing to offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s more expansive system.

Zay Flowers Making an Impact in Multiple Ways

Monken use Flowers in a variety of ways to pierce fortifications. Making Flowers a familiar target in the red zone, like he did for his first touchdown against the Chargers, is one of them.

According to Player Profiler, he has been targeted nine times in the red zone and has played 180 snaps from the slot. Flowers also observed 13 deep objects.

All of the metrics point to the former Boston College standout quickly being Jackson’s go-to receiver. Flowers benefited from his rapid grasp of the subtleties of a professional playbook.

Flowers has “grown immensely throughout the season,” according to wide receivers coach Greg Lewis, according to Hensley.

Flowers is impressing the right people, but he still has space to develop. Especially in one critical region.

Lamar Jackson’s Go-To Receiver Still Has a Lot to Learn

Flowers still has a lot to learn about knowing what to do in a particular situation. The problem manifested itself on his second touchdown, a 37-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.

Flowers’ remarkable speed is a cause for concern for any future opponents facing the Ravens. However, there was a moment when Flowers could have halted before reaching the end zone, allowing Jackson to end the game by taking a knee without requiring the Baltimore defense to return to the field.

As highlighted by Hensley, Ravens’ nose tackle Michael Pierce emphasized the need for Flowers to be more attentive to game situations, stating, “He doesn’t know any better. We go over those things in team meetings. Maybe we need to listen a little bit more, but situational football is important. I think that’s a good learning lesson.”

This issue involves a two-sided perspective. While Flowers could have exercised better judgment on the field, his explosive talent provides the Ravens with the potential to win games.

Jackson was not fond of Flowers’ celebrations in the end zone. Nonetheless, the Ravens should focus on acknowledging the positives as they occur. It’s crucial for Monken and Jackson to strike a balance between setting high expectations for Flowers and allowing room for his development.

Flowers has already demonstrated enough to warrant a more significant role in the offense, being the most dynamic player among those supporting Jackson. Perhaps Jackson should offer more recognition to his emerging top receiver.

James Dudko specializes in covering the New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. With a background covering the NFL and world soccer since 2011, Dudko has contributed to FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk, and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021.