Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers has already made a name for himself as a player. Now that he's getting in the end zone more often, he's getting buzz for his celebrations.
Flowers scored two touchdowns, a 3-yard reception and 37-yard run, in the Ravens' 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on "Sunday Night Football." Flowers' second score iced the game late in the fourth quarter.
It was the kind of "breakout" game Flowers has long been waiting for. He was already the Ravens' leading receiver entering the game, yet he had just one touchdown on the year. The week before, a long catch and run for a touchdown was called back because of a questionable holding call.
This time, Flowers left no doubt as he accounted for both of Baltimore's touchdowns.
"It was awesome," quarterback Lamar Jackson said. "We need a lot more, if anything. I've been waiting on him to score multiple times in a game, but having that last one with the run, that was a nice run."
Flowers celebrated his first score with a bouquet toss celebration, a play off his last name.
That one was a continuation of the "flowers" theme. After his first touchdown this year in Week 6 in London, Flowers sprinkled imaginary flower petals in the end zone like a flower girl at a wedding.
Left guard John Simpson caught Flowers' toss of the football/bouquet, then handed it to wide receiver Rashod Bateman. That's where things went a bit wonky. Bateman then got down on one knee and presented what seemed to be an engagement ring.
Jackson had some critiques.
"I told him, 'That was ass,'" Jackson said with a laugh. "That was the worst touchdown celebration I've ever seen."
Flowers said he had the bouquet toss in mind ever since the London trip, but nobody was on the same page with him.
"He didn't understand it, so I'm going to let him have that one," Flowers said. "I'm going to agree with him. It was bad. Everybody walked away from me. I was just like, 'I'm still going to do my celebration. I scored a touchdown.'"
After Flowers' second touchdown of the game, he ditched the flowers and took another creative angle. This time it was a soccer penalty kick score with Odell Beckham Jr. as the diving goalie.
"The second one was nice – the soccer celebration," Flowers said. "I was supposed to do it in London, but I got so excited that I forgot."
Celebrations aside, Flowers continued to show how "electric" he is with the ball in his hands, as Head Coach John Harbaugh phrased it.
Jackson had the option to pull the ball and keep it on Flowers' touchdown run, but he gave it to the speedy wide receiver.
"Yes, it was an option, but we kind of ran two similar plays back-to-back," Jackson said. "So, my read was Khalil Mack, and I saw him squeeze on the rush and I just let Zay do his thing and he did."
