Zay Flowers had a rookie season that was so impressive it earned him the WR1 role for 2024. Now, with the status as Lamar Jackson’s primary target, he’s expected to take a significant step forward.
One NFL writer believes that this step will happen and will be massive.
The Athletic’s Robert Mays has pegged Flowers to break Raven’s single-season receiving yards record but with a caveat.
Mays, speaking on “The Athletic Football Show,” predicted Flowers would accumulate more single-season receiving yards than any Ravens receiver ever has.
“It’s not that high!” Mays said “1,202 gets there for Zay Flowers, and I truly think he has a chance to take that sort of step in his second season.”
The current benchmark of 1,201 belongs to Michael Jackson, whose 1996 season was a “thriller” to Ravens fans. He approached the game with an ambitious “don’t stop ’til you get enough” attitude.
If you “remember the time” that this record was set, the NFL was still playing 16 games a season. So, the Ft. Lauderdale native has the advantage of an extra game to surpass Jackson’s mark.
In true Ravens franchise fashion, the single-season receiving yards mark belongs to a tight end, not a wideout.
Current TE1 Mark Andrews racked up 1,363 receiving yards in 2021. Backing Flowers to break the club’s season receiving yards record sounds like a bold take at first, but this isn’t much of a reach when you break it down into specifics.
As it’s back-to-school season, let’s do some math.
Flowers averaged 53.6 yards per game last season. To hit 1,202, the former Boston College Eagle would need to average 70.7 yards per game more. That’s just 17 yards and more change per game, which is very doable.
For the mountain of 1,364 to be submitted, Flowers must maintain an average of 80.2 yards per game.
In today’s pass-happy NFL, it is certainly achievable.