Mark Clayton acknowledged his touchdown celebration on Sunday may be the worst in NFL history.
After running a slant and catching a pass from Joe Flacco and sprinting 53 yards into end zone, the receiver punctuated the score with an awkward front flip that was ridiculed in the press box.
“It probably won’t happen again,” Clayton joked. “I’m pretty sure it won’t happen again.”
Clayton, however, hasn’t had many chances to practice his end zone dances the past two seasons. On the field, Clayton was beset by several foot and ankle injuries. But off the field, he experienced even greater pain when his wife filed for divorce while she was pregnant with their first son, Ayden, who was born in January.
It forced Clayton, a highly successful college player at Oklahoma who signed a five-year contract worth as much as $11 million after being taken 22nd overall in 2005, to change his perspective on football.
“You just continue to bounce back and wait for an opportunity to prove yourself again,” Clayton said. “You just appreciate the game more after a year like I had.”
The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder is starting to no longer resemble the player who made just 48 catches for 531 yards and no touchdowns last season. In the past four games, he has 10 catches for 213 yards and two touchdowns, including a 47-yarder in a victory over Cleveland earlier this month.
“No doubt, Mark Clayton is obviously talented,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “We know that he can make plays. [Against the Browns] Clayton runs a great route on the corner. The corner is pretty much on his own. Joe [Flacco] puts it in the perfect spot. That’s the kind of thing that keeps defenses honest. So that’s what balance is all about.”
Clayton has emerged as a bona fide secondary receiver behind Derrick Mason, who has a team-high 56 catches for 720 yards and two touchdowns. For the Ravens, it’s imperative they get more from their passing game, which ranks 29th out of 32 teams with an average of 168.5 yards per game.
“I’m finding my stride a little more each week in this new offense,” said Clayton, who has 23 catches for 311 yards this season. “We need every player on the team to contribute if we’re going to improve on offense.”
The Ravens (7-4) will count heavily on Clayton on Sunday, when they visit Paul Brown Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals (1-9-1). In the teams’ first meeting, Clayton’s 42-yard touchdown run sparked a season-opening, 17-10 victory at M&T Bank Stadium.
But the teams have taken separate paths since Week 1. The Ravens have emerged as a playoff contender and would be the AFC’s sixth — and final — seed if the postseason began today. Meantime, the Bengals are challenging winless Detroit to earn the top pick in next year’s draft by finishing with the worst record.
It will be key for the Ravens to utilize their balanced attack, with fullback Le’Ron McClain powering the league’s fourth ranked rushing attack (143.5 ypg) and Mason and Clayton leading the passing game.
“I always say the more people you get involved, the better it is [and] the more it builds confidence for everybody,” Flacco said. “The more people you have ready to go each week, the better chance it gives you to win.”
