
The Baltimore Ravens have put their fans through no shortage of painful losses during each of the Lamar Jackson-led attempts through the playoffs. The 2x MVP has never tasted Super Bowl air, and countless tragic endings to his promising postseason pushes now decorate the career of what can only be described as one of the most thrillingly and statistically proficient regular season quarterbacks that this game's produced.
Picking just one crushing blow is tough, given the variety that they've produced just across the 2020s, but many can still see one particularly-pivotal game-turning play from a few seasons back when they close their eyes.
Arguably the best supporting cast that Jackson's had at his sides once stood as close to a game away from Super Bowl LVIII, the final game in the 2023 NFL season. The Ravens were still very much in the AFC Championship Game against the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs when Zay Flowers, then just a rookie receiver who'd been suddenly thrust into the role of one of Jackson's top downfield playmakers, released a touchback fumble that blew any chance the Ravens had of holding serve at home.
That was pretty devastating, but he's had enough time to build himself up back from that. Last year's sophomore bounce back ended with a Pro Bowl debut for the young wideout, even if he's been as mistake-prone as ever throughout 2025. But yet again, in another situation in which a win seemed absolutely necessary to keep dreaming, a reception squirted free.
A quintessential ending for the Ravens playoff hopes in 2025, after controlling much of the night ... another fumble. This one by Zay Flowers, his third of the year, ending much chance of a Ravens comeback, trailing 28-24.#Ravens #RavensFlock #RavensvsPatriots pic.twitter.com/a9nW1iqzET
— All 22 Films (@All_22_NFL_Cuts) December 22, 2025
The Ravens entered their attempt at warding off the New England Patriots needing to win-out to stay alive in the divisional race, but after that final turnover enabled the visitors to secure a 28-24 win, chalk this up to another dismissal that Flowers' personally stamped.
It's especially unlucky that Flowers' night will only be remembered for his error, as this was one of Flowers' best statistical games of the season up until the two-minute mark. He'd locked in all seven of his aerial targets for 84 yards, and added 18 more with a touchdown for his second-straight weekend that included a visit to the end zone.
His recurring knack for mistakes, especially in these high-leverage moments, will always reign supreme in the memory in the people, and that's part of the Ravens' issue. As talented of an athlete as he is, he seems to have spent this season proving that he can't be a relied-upon go-to guy on a perennial contender. Flowers' second-straight 1,000 yard season is a real accomplishment, but plays like the sort that he always seems to be involved in have defined his unfortunate legacy to this point.
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