Is Taunting Penalty Not A Thing Anymore In NFL? Comes Up After Zay Flowers’ Controversial Penalty

At least he has a division opponent on his side. Zay Flowers will want to forget about his team’s drive that spanned the late third and early fourth quarters of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game as he messes up with a taunting foul.

Is the Taunting Penalty Not A Thing Anymore In the NFL? Comes Up After Zay Flowers’ Controversial Penalty

Against the Kansas City Chiefs, the wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens made a big reception to finally get some offence going, but the taunting penalty he received after the play lost him 15 yards.

On Sunday, late in the third quarter, Flowers caught a 54-yard catch from Lamar Jackson and cut both inside and outside before being tackled by L’Jarius Sneed of the Chiefs. At the conclusion of the play, Sneed touched Flowers’ leg, which infuriated the rookie, who was subsequently called for mocking Kansas City’s star cornerback.

The movement to amend the regulations governing when a flag should be thrown for mocking and what exactly qualifies as a taunting penalty has gained traction in recent years. As some of the NFL’s top players start to feel constrained by what they perceive to be restrictive rules, the Flowers punishment may put that momentum into overdrive.

Although Flowers was the architect of two of Baltimore’s most spectacular offensive plays, the rookie’s dismal drive in the second half may have lost the Ravens a chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy.

For whatever reason, Flowers twisted the ball adjacent to the Kansas City cornerback while standing over L’Jarius Sneed. That play was deemed to be taunting and cost the Ravens fifteen yards.

With two outstanding plays on Sunday, Flowers—who was among the NFL’s finest rookie receivers in 2023, finishing with 858 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games and quickly developing a relationship with Lamar Jackson—showed why. Unfortunately for Flowers, it’s unlikely that the game will be remembered for those plays.

Flowers, Jackson, and the Ravens will always be forced to speculate about what could have been as the Chiefs managed to hold on for a 17-10 victory that sent them to another Super Bowl.

How fast is Zay Flowers 40 yard dash?

At the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Boston College Eagles wide receiver Zay Flowers has an official 40-yard sprint time of 4.42 seconds.

Is Zay Flowers injured?

According to CBS, Flowers chopped his left hand as a way to let out his frustration. Following his goal line blunder, Zay Flowers slammed his hand against the bench, perhaps cutting his finger. Thankfully, Flowers’ ailment did not prevent him from playing. However, at a critical juncture in the game, a significant amount of damage had already been done.

 

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