What happened to Zay Flowers? Ravens WR injures foot in horrific moment against Bucs

“(Zay Flowers is) exactly the weapon we absolutely knew she was and would be and was.” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh raved after last week's win against Washington. Those words hung heavy in the air Baltimore The leading receiver writhed in pain on the sideline at Raymond James Stadium on Monday night.

The scary moment occurred in the second quarter when privateer Security Antoine Winfield Jr. During a 19-yard run, he rolled onto Flowers' ankle. Tom Christ, reporting on X, found this to be the case “a common mechanism for high and/or medial ankle sprain.” The Ravens' dynamic receiver faltered under his force before collapsing on the sideline.

Zay Flowers' reaction gave the story away. As Albert Breer reported from Tampa Bay, the young wideout was “Looked really upset on the Ravens sideline.” while Baltimore scored its first touchdown – a 9-yard strike from Lamar Jackson To Mark Andrews that cut the Bucs' lead to 10-7.

The timing couldn't have been worse for Baltimore's red-hot offense. In six games, Flowers was Jackson's preferred target, recording 33 catches for 401 yards and a touchdown. His back-to-back 100-yard games against Cincinnati and Washington underscored his growing importance to the Ravens' offense.

Ravens fans could breathe a collective sigh of relief as Flowers trotted back onto the field for Baltimore's next drive. But in a season in which the Ravens are fourth in the NFL standings and have won four straight games while amassing more than 28 points, even a brief scare with their top receiver sends shivers down the spine.

Ravens dodge a bullet, but questions remain

The hip-drop tackle that sent Flowers to the turf drew no attention from the officials Dov Kleiman pointed to X. These controversial tackles have become a hot topic across the NFL, with players and coaches calling for stricter enforcement.

Before the injury, Flowers had already made a splash with an 11-yard catch. His quick return to action shows the toughness that made him such a weapon in Baltimore's arsenal. But with that Cleveland Browns on deck in Week 8, the Ravens may need to lean more heavily Rashod Bateman And Nelson Agholor.

The Ravens came into Monday night's game against Tampa Bay with one of the NFL's most explosive offenses. In a game featuring two teams that are among the worst in pass defense — Baltimore ranked 31st and Tampa Bay ranked 28th — Jackson will need to use all of his weapons at full strength.

Baltimore appears to have escaped disaster for now. But as Zay Flowers deals with the pain, only time will tell if this ankle problem will be more than just a passing scare for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.