There isn't a wide receiver in the NFL who's hotter than Zay Flowers.
Since Week 5, Flowers leads the league in receiving yards (496) and yards after catch (232), according to NextGenStats. He already has four 100-yard receiving games this season, one short of the franchise record held by Mark Andrews.
Flowers enters Thursday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals with 654 yards for the season, trailing only Justin Jefferson (783), Ja'Marr Chase (717), Garrett Wilson (663), and CeeDee Lamb (660). Flowers has topped 100 yards in four of the last five games, with the one exception coming when he injured his ankle in the first half.
One of Flowers' superpowers is his ability to change direction and accelerate on a dime, leaving defenders in his wake. A perfect example was Flowers' 53-yard touchdown catch against the Denver Broncos, when he caught the ball at Denver's 30-yard line with four defenders converging on him. Flowers made safety Devon Keys miss twice, darted to the outside and turned on the jets to outrace everyone to the end zone.
"I'm not going to lie, when I caught it, I wasn't thinking about going down, or getting out of bounds," Flowers said. "The whole time, I really thought I could take that one to the crib."
The list of wide receivers who could've turned that play into a touchdown is short, but Flowers is on it. Growing up in a family of 14 children made Flowers acutely aware of how to navigate his way in crowded spaces. In only his second season, Flowers is on pace to finish with 87 catches for 1,235 yards, which would make him Baltimore's first 1,000-yard receiver since Hollywood Brown (1,008 yards) in 2021.
Flowers had a stellar rookie season, setting the franchise rookie record for catches (77) and receiving yards (858). However, he vowed to be better this season and has delivered. His route running has improved, his elusive after-catch moves are unique, his desire to be great won't be extinguished.
"His ability to make plays, some of it is innate, some of it is years and years of training and preparation and working on his craft," wide receiver Nelson Agholor said. "He's got hunger and competitiveness. That's something that's keeping him on the rise from last year to this year. He's just hungry for more."
With his focus on winning, Flowers isn't getting caught up in the stats, but he could savor his performance against the Broncos (five catches, 127 yards, two touchdowns) because it came during a victory. Flowers believes being surrounded by so many weapons in Baltimore's offense is helping him thrive.
"I do whatever I've got to do to keep our offense going," Flowers said. "I feel anybody who touches the ball in our offense has a chance to make plays. We're all taking advantage of that. I haven't been paying attention to the numbers."
The chemistry between Lamar Jackson and Flowers has always been good, but it has reached another level recently. On Flowers' first touchdown catch against the Broncos, Jackson stepped up in the pocket to buy time, allowing Flowers to cut toward the corner of the end zone while leaving Broncos' cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian behind.
When Jackson gives Flowers extra time to work on a defensive back, it's almost unfair.
"He's one of a kind," Jackson said. "He's just that type of player – getting open, making guys miss after he catches the ball, scoring from anywhere on the field – that's just him."
While Flowers' speed is often talked about, his toughness should not be overlooked. He'll make catches in traffic, willingly putting himself in harm's way. He rarely has a size advantage over the defender he's working against, but Flowers can't be intimidated.
"You want a 'dog' at receiver – a guy that's going to run across that middle," Jackson said. "You want to protect them, don't get me wrong, but a guy that knows what's going to happen if he gets hit the wrong way or something like that – a guy who's fearless, definitely."
Teammates appreciate Flowers' tenacity and the way he competes daily. Agholor noticed Flowers' competitiveness from their first practice together, and that fire hasn't waned.
"Absolutely no fear," Agholor said. "He's the aggressor. He's not somebody who backs down from anything. He sets the tone."
The Ravens hope Flowers keeps rolling against the Bengals, but he's thinking more about getting another victory against an AFC North rival.
"Divisional games are tough," Flowers said. "There were a lot of points between us last time we played them, but you never know how each game's going to go. I think we've still got a great defense. We're just going to let them get some stops and do our thing."
