How Zay Flowers Is Preparing for His First NFL Playoff Game

It didn’t take Zay Flowers long to make a first impression in the NFL.

In his first NFL game on Sept. 10 against the Texans, Flowers caught nine passes for 78 yards. He saw 10 targets while no other Raven had more than three.

The Ravens threw their first-round rookies into the fire, and it was evident from the jump that Flowers could take the heat.

So how is Flowers feeling before his first NFL playoff game?

“No emotions. It’s kind of the same,” he said Wednesday with his usual wide smile. “I feel [like] it’s just playing football. I’ve been playing football all my life, so I’m going to just go do what I do.”

As the Ravens prepare to kick off their playoff run against the Texans Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium, much of the talk is about how much rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has improved since their last meeting in Week 1. But he isn’t the only rookie who has gotten better.

“The things that [Flowers] did in the first game, you still see today – his athleticism. You saw that making people miss trying to get him in space,” Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken said.

“Where he’s improved dramatically is just playing the position strong. It’s really in terms of what we’re asking him to do, conceptually [with] the routes, spacing and when we move him around, which is hard for a rookie, just being dialed in.”