Week 3 of the 2025 NFL regular season is closing with a blockbuster encounter between two teams with Super Bowl aspirations, the Baltimore Ravens and the Detroit Lions. After starting their seasons in an extremely similar fashion, their Monday Night Football tilt offered the chance for either of the two squads to take a mighty advantage in their respective conferences.
Through the first half, the game has lived up to its billing with both teams exchanging blows and coming away with little separation at 14 points apiece. With two of the best offenses in the NFL over the last two seasons, it was no surprise to see them running up and down the field. However, the passing game for the Ravens brought a bit of a shocker, with Zay Flowers taken completely out of the matchup.
What Happened to Zay Flowers?
A first-round pick in 2023, Flowers has solidified himself as the clear-cut WR1 in Baltimore over the last two seasons. His absence was a major reason for the Ravens’ struggles in the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills that ended their season in the Divisional Round last year.
This season, he got off to an incredible start, tallying 218 yards and a touchdown through the first two weeks of the season. However, going up against Detroit, he was nowhere to be seen.
Even though Lamar Jackson connected on eight of his nine passing attempts for 98 yards, Flowers did not catch a single pass. Moreover, he wasn’t even targeted in any of Jackson’s nine attempts.
Derrick Henry towers over Zay Flowers 😅 pic.twitter.com/ikZPSmyBhS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 23, 2025
As a result, he ended the half with a completely blank slate as far as the stat sheet was concerned. His number was finally called in the third quarter. Facing a 3rd and 6, Baltimore chose to go with Flowers’ reliability.
He immediately delivered, covering the six yards and getting the first down.
Right from the get-go, it was clear that Flowers was a special player for Baltimore. Setting the franchise record for receptions and receiving yards as a rookie, he finished his rookie season with 858 yards and five touchdowns on 77 receptions.
Even with such an explosive start, he took it to another level in his sophomore campaign, tallying 1,059 yards and earning the first Pro Bowl selection of his career. Through two games in 2025, it seemed like he’d taken another step forward in his trajectory.