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

The terrifying moment happened in the second quarter then Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. rolled onto Flowers’ ankle during a 19-yard run. Tom Christ, reporting on X, noted that this was so “a common mechanism for a high and/or medial ankle sprain.” The Ravens’ dynamic receiver ran under his power before collapsing on the sideline.

Zay Flowers’ reaction told the story. As Albert Breer reported from Tampa Bay, the youngster went wide “looked very angry on the Ravens sideline” as baltimore punched in their first touchdown – a 9 yard strike from Lamar Jackson Unpleasant Mark Andries 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 was Jackson’s favorite target, with 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’ offense.

Ravens fans breathed a collective sigh of relief as 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 scoring more than 28 points, even a brief scare with their top receiver sends shivers down the spine.

Raven dodges a bullet, but questions linger

The hip-drop tackle that sent Flowers to the grass didn’t draw a flag from the officials, like Dov Kleiman pointed out X. These controversial tackles have become a hot-button issue in 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 has made him such a weapon in Baltimore’s arsenal. But with the Cleveland Browns on deck in Week 8, the Ravens may need to lean more heavily Rashod Bateman And Nelson Agholor.

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

For now, Baltimore appears to have avoided disaster. But while Zay Flowers endures the pain, only time will tell if this ankle issue becomes more than just a temporary scare for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.