Lamar Jackson Sends Ravens Rookie Tough Message: ‘We Need a Lot More’

There’s no pleasing some. Just ask Baltimore Ravens’ rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers. He enjoyed his first two-touchdown game in the NFL during Week 12’s 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but quarterback Lamar Jackson wants more.

That’s the message Jackson sent to Flowers through the media, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: “We need a lot more, if anything. I’ve been waiting on him to score multiple times in a game.”

Talk about keeping expectations high. Jackson is right to set standards for Flowers and every member of his supporting cast.

That said, the Ravens are certainly getting a quicker return than expected on the investment they made in the 22nd pick of the 2023 NFL draft. Flowers is becoming a roving playmaker who is making offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s more expansive system work.

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Zay Flowers Making an Impact in Multiple Ways

Monken is using Flowers in multiple ways to gash defenses. Those ways include making Flowers a familiar target in the red zone, like for his first score against the Chargers.

He’s been targeted nine times in the red zone and played 180 snaps from the slot, per Player Profiler. Flowers has also seen 13 deep targets.

All the numbers add up to the former Boston College star rapidly become Jackson’s go-to receiver. It helps Flowers had quickly got up to speed with the nuances of a pro playbook.

Wide receivers coach Greg Lewis noted how Flowers has “grown immensely throughout the season,” per Hensley.

Flowers is impressing the right people, but there’s still room for improvement in his game. Particularly in one vital area.

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Lamar Jackson’s Go-To Receiver Still Has a Lot to Learn

Knowing what to do in a given situation is something Flowers still has to learn. The issue showed up on his second touchdown, a 37-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter.

While his acceleration should strike fears into the hearts of every opponent left on the Ravens’ schedule, Flowers could have stopped shy of the end zone. That would have let Jackson take a knee to end the game without Baltimore’s defense needing to take the field again.

As Hensley noted, Ravens’ nose tackle Michael Pierce called on Flowers to pay more attention to situations: “He doesn’t know any better. We go over those things in team meetings. Maybe we need to listen a little bit more, but situational football is important. I think that’s a good learning lesson.”

This argument is a two-way street. Yes, Flowers could have played smarter football, but his explosive athleticism is giving the Ravens the chance to win any game.

Jackson wasn’t a fan of Flowers’ end-zone celebrations, but the Ravens should be mindful about enjoying the positives when they happen. It’s why Monken and Jackson must strike the right balance between placing tough demands on Flowers and giving him the room to develop.

He’s already shown enough to merit an even greater role in the offense, as the most dynamic player among Jackson’s supporting cast. So maybe Jackson should give his burgeoning No. 1 receiver a few more props.

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