Zay Flowers Named Ravens' Most Likely First-Time Pro Bowler
The Ravens have never had a player make the Pro Bowl as a wide receiver, but there's a strong chance of the drought ending this season.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley named Zay Flowers as the Ravens player most likely to make the Pro Bowl for the first time.
"In his second season, Flowers has established himself as quarterback Lamar Jackson's go-to wide receiver and the top outside threat for the NFL's No. 1 offense," Hensley wrote. "His 863 receiving yards rank third among wideouts in the AFC. With his downfield speed and elusiveness, Flowers leads the AFC with 17 receptions of 20 or more yards."
Flowers is on pace for 1,129 receiving yards, which would be the most by a Ravens wide receiver since Michael Jackson had 1,201 yards in the franchise's inaugural season in 1996.
On a side note, five Ravens are the leading vote-getters for the Pro Bowl at their positions one week into fan voting: quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry, inside linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, and safety Kyle Hamilton. Jackson and Henry are the top two vote-getters overall.
Why Lamar Jackson Should Still Be the MVP Front-Runner
Chants of "MVP" at M&T Bank Stadium have become commonplace during the Jackson era, but they weren't directed at the Ravens' star quarterback during Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
This time, it was Eagles fans chanting for running back Saquon Barkley, who is bidding to be the first non-quarterback to win the MVP award since running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
While Barkley is gaining momentum, Bills quarterback Josh Allen remains the betting favorite in the MVP race, and he strengthened his case in primetime on Sunday night. In Buffalo's 35-10 rout of the San Francisco 49ers, Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game.
Jackson, who was the front-runner a few weeks ago to win his second straight and third overall MVP award, is still firmly in the conversation, but his candidacy has taken a hit due to the Ravens losing two of their past three games while the Eagles and Bills are riding eight- and seven-game winning streaks, respectively.
However, multiple pundits believe Jackson should still be No. 1 on the MVP list.
"The best MVP candidates are quarterbacks who carry their teams to victories despite poor support from their defenses and special teams," The Athletic's Mike Sando wrote. "This is when the most valuable players (quarterbacks) are truly most valuable. Jackson still must prove himself in the postseason, but the MVP is a regular-season award, and Jackson is doing what only MVP-caliber quarterbacks are able to do.
"With kicker Justin Tucker slumping and the defense still finding its footing, the Ravens rank 29th in combined EPA on defense and special teams, one spot ahead of Cincinnati. They are nonetheless 8-5 and projected to finish 11-6, per The Athletic's model, because their offense ranks first in EPA overall and per play."
Sando noted that Jackson's MVP argument is boosted by his standing in the QB Betrayal Index, an analytic that takes EPA associated with the quarterback, subtracts his team's EPA on defense/special teams, and then divides the total by games started.
"Jackson's 13-game Betrayal Index figure this season ranks third over the past decade among all QBs whose teams were at least three games above .500 at this point, per TruMedia," Sando wrote. "The other QBs in the top five — Patrick Mahomes in 2018 and 2022, Aaron Rodgers in 2020 and Matt Ryan in 2016 — all won MVP honors in those seasons. Whether MVP voters knew it or not, they were rewarding the quarterbacks whose brilliance helped overcome weaker support from their defenses and special teams. That is Jackson this season."
NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha expressed a similar sentiment.
"Jackson has won this award twice already, and he's never looked as good as he does this season," Chadiha wrote. "It's usually harder for players to remain in consideration for this award after winning it because they set the bar so high. Jackson keeps raising his, and he's leading a Ravens team that has struggled on defense and special teams. Baltimore has never needed his brilliance more."
ESPN's Pat McAfee said that if Jackson runs the ball more in the Ravens' remaining games – which Jackson hinted at during Sunday’s postgame press conference – "MV3" could happen.
"Hearing that makes me think, 'OK, I'm betting on Lamar going forward,'" McAfee said. "If he does get to the point where he's starting to run a little bit earlier, there's only one Lamar Jackson on Earth."
Former NFL Kicker Jay Feely Says Bringing in Competition Won't 'Fix' Tucker
Tucker's struggles are the Ravens' biggest concern heading into their bye week, as pundits and fans continue to debate whether the team should bring in outside competition for the seven-time Pro Bowl kicker.
CBS Sports analyst and former NFL kicker Jay Feely said competition is not the answer and Tucker is a better option than any street free agents.
"Bringing in competition will do nothing to fix Justin Tucker. That will not in any way benefit him or help him," Feely said on “Glenn Clark Radio.” "[Head Coach John] Harbaugh going up to him on the sidelines, hugging him, telling him how much he believes in him, that will help him."
Feely said that every kicker goes through slumps, and it's up to Tucker to figure out how to break out of his.
"I do think having a bye week, getting fresh, getting healthy, and getting away a little bit [will help]," Feely said. "I think he's going to practice more. I think he's going to focus on fixing it. … I think it's like, 'Hey, let's really dive in and look at why am I not hitting the ball cleanly like I normally do and what can I do technically to fix this. They have the staff there to be able to help him."
