NFL stats leave no debate, Ravens WR Rashod Bateman can be great

Baltimore Ravens WR Rashod Bateman finished the 2024 NFL season ranked No.9 in the league in touchdown receptions.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is somewhere living life right now, away from football. Nevertheless, we must praise him for his performance at wideout this past NFL season.

Bateman caught six touchdowns over the last six games (including playoffs) and finished the season with a 16.8 yards per catch average. He also ranked No. 9 in the NFL in touchdown receptions. Often overshadowed by the superstar prowess of teammate Zay Flowers, Bateman turned his seven post-season targets into six catches.

Flowers will return from injury next season, and both Ravens’ tight ends, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, will continue to be at the top of the league in their craft. Hopefully, Bateman will continue to improve winning on routes at the intermediate level to give quarterback Lamar Jackson a viable target.

The Ravens continue to fall short of championship glory, but faith tells us it’s only a matter of time. Bateman has definitely proven his weight in gold, though.

Ravens TE Mark Andrews has now learned why nice guys finish last

Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews will have to regroup after dropping a two point conversion in the Ravens loss to the Bills

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews ended the 2024 season as a community hero, but his epic two-point conversion pass drop in the 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional won’t soon be forgotten, especially by teammate quarterback Lamar Jackson, who will be mocked endlessly by the slanted aims of sports media professionals nationwide.



Andrews might have saved a woman’s life last year, but he surely didn’t save the Ravens’ season. To add insult to injury, Andrews tallied two drops and was bullied out of the ball by Bills defensive back Terrel Bernard on a forced fumble that swayed momentum in the Bills’ favor in the fourth quarter. 



Critics should be friendly and let Andrews live this pivotal moment down. Bills fans will boast and mock, but internally, they could feel their hearts drop into their stomachs when Jackson led the Ravens on that final touchdown drive.

Thanks to Andrews’ blooper on the game-tying play, Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich can posture as self-destruction wasn’t the primary reason the Bills escaped the Ravens.

Sights and sounds from first half as Bills hold a 21-10 lead over Ravens in divisional round

Sights and sounds from first half as Bills hold a 21-10 lead over Ravens in divisional round

The first half appeared to be a reverse of Week 4, and two Lamar Jackson turnovers played a pivotal part in Baltimore trailing 21-10 after 30 minutes of football in Buffalo. The Bills held the Ravens to 73 yards rushing in the first half and 28 offensive plays. According to Next Gen Stats, Jackson has been under pressure on over half of his dropbacks (54.5%) for the first time since Week 4, 2023. He’s been pressured 6 times and sacked once on 11 dropbacks (as of Damar Hamlin’s strip sack).

With the second half underway, here are seven takeaways from the first 30 minutes.

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Is Zay Flowers playing today? Injury updates for Ravens WR

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is doubtful but has a chance to play against the Bills in the AFC divisional round

Zay Flowers returned to the practice field on Friday, but just for a morning workout ahead of Baltimore’s final session of the week. 

Head coach John Harbaugh had previously stated that Flowers could play without practicing this week, and that could be the case as the Pro Bowl wide receiver was the only player absent from Friday’s session. 


Flowers led Baltimore in receiving yards with 1,059, becoming the first wide receiver to amass 1,000 yards for the Ravens since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2021.

NFL Playoff picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions

If Flowers is out again, Tylan Wallace will likely get the start, while Ravens tight ends will again assume a more significant role.

Ravens elevate WR Anthony Miller from practice squad for AFC Divisonal Round

the Baltimore Ravens have now elevated wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad.

In the surest sign yet that Zay Flowers (knee injury) probably won’t play on Sunday night, the Baltimore Ravens have now elevated wide receiver Anthony Miller from the practice squad.

He’ll be active for the AFC Divisional playoff game at the Buffalo Bills, joining the likes of Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace, Devontez Walker, and Steven Sims in the Ravens receiving corps.

Miller had three catches for 12 yards in the Wild Card round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend. While that may not sound like a massive impact, it was still more than his contributions during the regular season.

Miller had just one catch in two games played during the regular season.

Before joining the Ravens in August, he played for six different NFL teams.

However, he was only a practice squad member for half (3) of those six teams. The impact and production of Flowers will have to be replaced by a committee. You can’t expect one receiver to do it all by himself.

Zay Flowers injury updates: John Harbaugh says Ravens WR has chance to play vs. Bills

Head coach John Harbaugh says Pro Bowl WR Zay Flowers has a chance to play vs. the Buffalo Bills in divisional round.

Zay Flowers returned to the practice field on Friday, but just for a morning workout ahead of Baltimore’s final session of the week. 

Head coach John Harbaugh had previously stated that Flowers could play without practicing this week, and that could be the case as the Pro Bowl wide receiver was the only player absent from Friday’s session. 

Flowers led Baltimore in receiving yards with 1,059, becoming the first wide receiver to amass 1,000 yards for the Ravens since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2021.

NFL Playoff picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions

If Flowers is out again, Tylan Wallace will likely get the start, while Ravens tight ends will again assume a more significant role.

Zay Flowers injury updates: Latest news on Ravens WR

Pro Bowl WR Zay Flowers is the only Ravens player not practicing Friday after a brief workout. Flowers hasn’t practiced since injuring his knee in the regular season finale.

Zay Flowers returned to the practice field on Friday, but just for a morning workout ahead of Baltimore’s final session of the week. 

Head coach John Harbaugh had previously stated that Flowers could play without practicing this week, and that could be the case. The wide receiver was the only player absent from Friday’s session. 

Flowers led Baltimore in receiving yards with 1,059, becoming the first wide receiver to amass 1,000 yards for the Ravens since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2021.

If Flowers is out again, Tylan Wallace will likely get the start, while Ravens tight ends will again assume a more significant role.

Zay Flowers injury updates: Latest news on Ravens WR

Pro Bowl WR Zay Flowers is the only Ravens player not practicing Thursday. Flowers hasn’t practiced since injuring his knee in the regular season finale 12 days ago.

Zay Flowers may only play again this season if Baltimore reaches the AFC title game. Head coach John Harbaugh had previously stated that Flowers could play without practicing this week, and that could be the case, as the wide receiver was the only player absent from Thursday’s session with one more practice remaining on Friday. 


Flowers led Baltimore in receiving yards with 1,059, becoming the first wide receiver to amass 1,000 yards for the Ravens since Marquise “Hollywood” Brown in 2021.

If Flowers is out again, Tylan Wallace will likely get the start, while Ravens tight ends will again assume a more significant role.

Lamar Jackson is the real MVP, Bills’ Bobby Babich better know it

Buffalo Bills DC Bobby Babich better know Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson isn’t coming to play around at Highmark Stadium.

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich might hang his hat on stopping rookie quarterback Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos in the AFC Wild Card. However, they’ll face Baltimore Ravens all-pro quarterback Lamar Jackson this week. In case you didn’t know, there’s a big difference.

Jackson has been inhuman this season, tallying over 4,000 yards passing and eclipsing 915 yards rushing. Babich and his Bills have shown signs of prestige in 2024, but in a battered AFC East, the competition has not been near the potency that the Ravens and Jackson deal with in the AFC North.

That said, expect Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken to focus on using rollout plays and crossing routes to force Babich out of zone coverage. Once Babich is forced into playing man, Monken can sequence those quarterback zone-read plays with Jackson and running back Derrick Henry.

Allowing roughly 113 rush yards per game in 2024, Babich and the Bills are ready to prove they can follow up their AFC Wild Card performance in style. However, against Jackson and the No. 1 rushing offense in the league, it would be pretty unrealistic for Babich to think things will be a cakewalk. If the Bills defense takes the wrong angle on Henry or Jackson, Babich will likely face nightmares about it all off-season long.

Bills will want to limit Ravens TE Isaiah Likely, but that’s unlikely

Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely creates a very apparent mismatch for the Buffalo Bills defense in the AFC Divisional Round.

Baltimore Ravens tight-end Isaiah Likely isn’t easy to defend or block. Mainly when his close companion, tight-end Mark Andrews, operates right near him in the team offense. Likely pummeled Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Cameron Sutton last weekend, and he’ll be looking for more physicality versus the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round.

The Bills ranked No. 20 in pass yards allowed per game on defense this season, so it’s unclear why many believe the Ravens offense isn’t prepared to flock fiercely over them this weekend. Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich had better have a game plan that includes double coverage on Likely because neither safety Taylor Rapp nor Damar Hamlin is tough enough to limit Likely in man coverage.

It’s so easy to dream big, but the reality is that Likely is big. Standing 6-foot-4, 247 pounds, and running a 40-yard dash time of around 4.7 seconds, Likely is pretty much a monster in the open field. Marry Likely’s physicality as a receiver, in tandem with his ability to be a run-blocker for running back Derrick Henry, and it’s safe to say that the Bills may be in for a very long night in the AFC Divisional Round.