“[Zay Flowers is] exactly the weapon we absolutely knew was and would be and has been,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gushed after last week’s win over Washington. Those words hung heavy in the air as Baltimore’s leading receiver writhed in pain on the Raymond James Stadium sideline Monday night.

The scary moment unfolded in the second quarter when Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. rolled up on Flowers’ ankle during a 19-yard run. Tom Christ, reporting on X, noted it was “a common mechanism for a high and/or medial ankle sprain.” The Ravens’ dynamic receiver jogged off under his power before crumpling on the sideline.

Zay Flowers’ reaction told the story. As Albert Breer reported from Tampa Bay, the young wideout “looked really upset on the Ravens sideline” while Baltimore punched in their 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. Through six games, Flowers has been Jackson’s go-to target, racking up 33 catches for 401 yards and a touchdown. His back-to-back 100-yard games against Cincinnati and Washington highlighted his growing importance to the Ravens’ attack.

Ravens fans could breathe a collective sigh of relief when Flowers trotted back onto the field for Baltimore’s next drive. But in a season where the Ravens rank fourth in NFL scoring and have won four straight games while putting up 28+ points, even a brief scare with their top receiver sends shivers down spines.

Ravens dodge a bullet, but questions linger

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

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

The Ravens entered Monday night’s clash with Tampa Bay sporting one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses. In a game featuring two teams ranked among the worst in pass defense – Baltimore 31st and Tampa Bay 28th – Jackson needs all his weapons at full strength.

For now, Baltimore seems to have avoided disaster. But as Zay Flowers plays through the pain, only time will tell if this ankle issue becomes more than just a momentary scare for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.