Ravens WR Jumps Out to Strong Start

The Baltimore Ravens' roster doesn't quite have that same airtight perception they had leading into the regular season, having spent the summer building what looked to be arguably the NFL's strongest rosters before a Week 1 collapse quickly brought the team back down to earth.

Their receiver room had its questions heading into the fall, using depth to make up for their lack in a true top pass-catching option. Zay Flowers, coming off of his first Pro Bowl appearance the season prior, seemed like the de facto first option over professionals like Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins, and backed that notion up with an explosive first game.

He totaled 143 receiving yards, good enough to lead the NFL in the major statistical category. He accounted for one of the Ravens' several touchdowns with one long run, though his scoring wasn't enough to lead his team over the top in the eventual 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The box score backed up the efficiency that fans took away from Flowers' outing, as he's also leading all receivers in yards per touch at 16.8. He only had seven receptions on nine total throws his way, but made his time with the ball count with 15.9 yards per target.

He entered this game with two promising seasons on his resume, even if there hasn't been much to indicate that he's some record-setting option. What he had proven, though, was that he was one of the league's best at getting a head of steam from behind scrimmage and using his nimble stature to keep the ball moving up the field. He only had five touchdowns as a regular in last season's talented offense, and already has one after one matchup.