Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers endured some harsh criticism after he made two unfortunate mistakes during a key drive in Sunday’s AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In the third quarter, Flowers taunted Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed after making a 54-yard reception. The move resulted in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. A few plays later in the early fourth quarter, Flowers lost a fumble in the end zone just prior to crossing the goal line.
The mistakes were costly for the Ravens, who went on to lose, 17–10. In the immediate aftermath, it appeared that the NFL itself was trolling Flowers.
The league’s account on X, formerly Twitter, posted a video of Flowers’s costly fumble with what seemed to be a sarcastic caption. The tweet was deleted shortly afterward, but not before the screen grab was captured by observers.
“FUMBLED AT THE GOAL LINE. BIG PLAY ZAY,” the NFL’s tweet read.
X / @Vohes13
The NFL then reposted the video, this time with a caption reading, “What a play by Sneed to prevent the TD” in reference to Sneed, who had deftly punched the ball out of Flowers’s grasp.
What a play by Sneed to prevent the TD ????
— NFL (@NFL) January 28, 2024
????: #KCvsBAL on CBS
????: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/IIZbdmhqNS pic.twitter.com/bFvdrGRl3I
It’s unclear how the NFL meant to portray the first tweet, but some fans clearly saw it as a way to mock the Ravens’ rookie standout.
