Ravens’ Zay Flowers on Fumble vs. Chiefs: ‘I Don’t Plan on Letting It Break Me’

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Zay Flowers isn’t going to let a mistake he made during his rookie season define the rest of his career.

“It’s just a moment,” the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver said when discussing his goal-line fumble from Sunday’s 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “It is going to make or break you. I don’t plan on letting it break me.”

The fumble was part of a second-half drive to forget for Flowers, as he was also flagged for taunting after making a long reception. He clearly had thoughts of making up for it by diving for the end zone on the later catch in question, but Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed punched the ball out.

Baltimore was already trailing 17-7 in the fourth quarter at the time and didn’t get into the end zone the rest of the game.

It was an unfortunate sequence for Flowers, who was otherwise impressive in the contest with five catches for 115 yards and his team’s only touchdown. Nobody else on Baltimore finished with more than 39 receiving yards.

He was also the team’s leading receiver during the regular season with 77 catches for 858 yards and five touchdowns.

Flowers has a bright future, and he only plans on improving before his second season.

“I feel like I got another step,” he said. “I feel like I could be one of the best receivers in this league, and I’m not going to let one moment define me. So I’m going to just use that and use it as a slingshot.”

If he does take that jump, he might be right back in the AFC Championship Game with the chance to bounce back from his fumble on the same stage.