Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown had another random rant on TikTok. This time it involved Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers.
“If you say Zay Flowers with my name, you’re a loser,” Brown said. “Zay Flowers fumbles too much, he can’t hold water, he sucks. Never mention me with that coward. He’s not me, and I’m being honest… That boy the reason Lamar Jackson can’t win! Zay Flowers is the reason Lamar Jackson can’t win. Ask any one of my quarterbacks, I’m the reason they win.”
In a since-deleted post on X, DeAndre Hopkins, who played for Baltimore last season, clapped back at Brown, “U goofy talking ab [about] Zay, bro used to look up to you,” Hopkins wrote.
Flowers had two deep touchdown receptions from Lamar Jackson in the Ravens’ Week 18 loss to the Steelers last season. One was a 64-yarder and the other was from 50 yards out. Both came in the fourth quarter.
Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin noted that they could’ve executed better and made better calls, but ultimately, Jackson was the difference maker.
“I think Lamar first and foremost on a lot of fronts,” Tomlin said on Tuesday when asked about why the Ravens were able to get explosive plays over the top of the defense. “He makes you do some things schematically that could make you uncomfortable, but if you’re trying to win moments in the game you do what you have to do.
“But also just his unique talents. I mean, one of those touchdowns we had two of our most significant guys, had him wrapped up in the backfield and he somehow came out of [Keeanu] Benton and [Alex] Highsmith and threw a long touchdown. So his talents were directly impactful. His talents also dictated schematics at times. To put it succinctly, Lamar Jackson.”
Jackson looked like Houdini on his 50-yard touchdown pass to Flowers. Alex Highsmith and Keeanu Benton just couldn’t get the two-time league MVP to the ground.
On the Ravens’ following possession, Jackson found Flowers for another explosive touchdown. This time a 64-yarder. Flowers was 9.3 yards from the nearest defender when he caught the pass on the 64-yard touchdown, per Next Gen Stats.
Tomlin said the Steelers loaded up to stop Jackson’s designed-run play ability. That strategy hurt them several times on Sunday night. It was a risk they were willing to take, however.
“We chose a hill to die on, but we didn’t,” Tomlin said.
On Baltimore’s final possession, Jackson hit Isaiah Likely with a fourth-down pass to get inside the Pittsburgh 30-yard line. Ravens rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal wide right as time expired, giving the Steelers the victory.
Flowers is coming off two consecutive Pro Bowl seasons, but fumbling is a problem for him. He’s lost three fumbles in his first three seasons. He also had crucial fumble at the goal line in the Ravens’ 2023 AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jackson, who’s...
