Late in last season's AFC title game, the Baltimore Ravens were driving down the field with a chance to cut into the Kansas City Chiefs' 10-point lead. Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers, who, to that point had caught four passes for 107 yards and the Ravens' only touchdown, caught a pass over the middle of the field and, sensing the chance to score, dove toward the end zone.
And then disaster struck for the Ravens, as then-Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed executed a perfect punch to knock the ball out of Flowers' hands just before it crossed the goal line.
Baltimore's hopes of cutting into the lead were dashed, and the only score the Ravens would add to their total was a late field goal before the Chiefs ran out the clock. Flowers, for his part, is still thinking about that play.
"Honestly, I still [haven't] gotten over it," Flowers said, via the team's official website. "I still think about it, but I know next year we have a chance to get back there and try to make it to the Super Bowl, so that's why I'm working every day and going hard every day to get back to that moment."
Flowers is now back in the Ravens' offseason program, getting ready for another run at things. And he wants to try to take on more of a role, not just in the offense, but within his position group.
"[I want] to improve this year on probably everything, just getting better at every phase and trying to be more of a leader this year," Flowers said. "We have a young receiver room, so I'm trying to help lead them, too."
After Odell Beckham Jr. moved on in free agency, Flowers and Rashod Bateman return as the team's top receivers, and the Ravens added Devontez Walker in the draft. Veterans like Nelson Agholor, Deonte Harty and Tylan Wallace are still around, but three of the top team's four receivers have been drafted within the last four years. We've seen teams with young receiving corps thrive at times (like last year's Packers), and Flowers is planning on helping the Ravens be next in line.
