The Dallas Cowboys might have saved their season on Sunday, but they must quickly turn the page to Week 3, when they lock horns with the Baltimore Ravens (also 1-1) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The NFL has staged two games in Brazil before, but this will be the first in Rio, the country's second-largest city.
The Ravens are coming off a frustrating Week 2 loss after blowing a fourth-quarter lead at home to the New Orleans Saints. Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level, and Cowboys fans surely remember Derrick Henry running all over Mike Zimmer's defense at AT&T Stadium two years ago.
Henry scampered for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 6.0 yards per carry, with Jackson adding 87 yards and a TD at 6.2 YPC.
First-year play-caller Declan Doyle got away from Henry in the second half of Baltimore's loss to the Saints, but rest assured, Dak Prescott won't have a chance to lead Dallas to a victory if the defense allows Henry and Jackson to treat Marcaña Stadium like their playground.
This is a massive litmus test for the Cowboys, and we'll have you covered all week leading up to Sunday. From the latest injury news to key storylines to watch and everything else you need to know, make sure to bookmark this page and check back regularly.
- How to watch Cowboys vs. Ravens in Week 3
- Cowboys Injury Report for Week 3
- Ravens Injury Report for Week 3
- Biggest Cowboys storylines heading into Week 3
- Prediction
Last updated: Wednesday, September 23 at 7:00 a.m. CT
How to watch Cowboys vs. Ravens in Week 3
- Date: Sunday, September 27
- Time: 3:25 p.m. CT
- TV Network: CBS
- Announcers: Jim Nantz (play-by-play), J.J. Watt (color analyst), Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporter)
Cowboys Injury Report for Week 3
Check back here once the Cowboys release their first injury report on Wednesday.
Note: Brian Schottenheimer all but ruled out cornerback Cobie Durant (hamstring) and safety P.J. Locke (torn plantar fascia). Both players were injured in Week 2. Don't expect either to practice this week. It remains a possibility that Locke goes on injured reserve, which would knock him out for a minimum of four weeks.
Ravens Injury Report for Week 3
Check back here once the Ravens release their first injury report on Wednesday.
Note: Ravens head coach Jesse Minter said on Monday that "We have a good shot with a lot of guys [playing this week]." Baltimore was without wide receiver Zay Flowers, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley in Week 2.
Biggest Cowboys storylines heading into Week 3
Can the Dallas defense contain Lamar Jackson?
As we noted earlier, the Cowboys don't stand a chance of winning if Jackson takes over the game with his legs. The good news? Jackson isn't as willing to run as he was earlier in his career. He struggled with a hamstring injury last season and seems far more selective about when he chooses to run.
When he does take off, though, he's remarkably efficient. In two games, Jackson has carried 11 times for 74 yards and two scores. It's early, but that 6.7 YPC would be his best mark since 2022.
The Cowboys were unable to contain both Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels, allowing Dart to scramble for 54 yards in Week 1 before letting Daniels run for 69 yards in the first half before his elbow injury.
It won't matter how well Dallas holds up in coverage -- which is its own concern given the secondary could be down Malik Hooker, Cobie Durant, and P.J. Locke -- if they can't limit the damage Jackson causes with his legs.
What's wrong with the Cowboys' run game?
Controlling the time of possession would be its own defense against Lamar Jackson, but the Cowboys' ground game has really struggled out of the blocks. Here's a look at where Dallas ranks through two weeks.
- 67.5 yards per game - 30th
- 3.5 yards per carry - 26th
- 11 yards longest run - 31st
- -0.05 EPA per rush - 11th
Hardly the efficiency that was expected in Year 2 of the Brian Schottenheimer and Klayton Adams offense. It's really as simple as Dallas consistently losing at the point of attack. The absence of Tyler Smith, arguably the best guard in football, has loomed large.
T.J. Bass has been a fine fill-in. He's held up in pass protection, but he isn't a formidable run blocker. The rushing attack was expected to take a step back without Smith. Getting him back will move mountains, but game script also hasn't allowed Schotty to commit to the run.
They fell behind 21-7 in Week 2, and against Washington, it felt like Dallas needed to come away with points on every possession, even after Jayden Daniels' injury.
A lot of contributing factors are at play, but Sunday presents a potential get-right opportunity, as Baltimore currently ranks 23rd with a -0.01 EPA per push, per Sūmer Sports.
How does Dallas overcome injuries in their secondary?
Cobie Durant and P.J. Locke are not expected to play, and it sounds like Malik Hooker needs one more week to recover from a broken forearm. That means the Cowboys could be without two starters and, arguably, their most trusted depth piece in the secondary.
Shavon Revel and Markquese Bell figure to slot into the starting lineup.
It's a big test for both players, but Revel in particular, given how well he performed in training camp. In an encouraging sign, Revel did not look overwhelmed after tagging in for Durant on Sunday. He had an awful tackle attempt on one of his first reps, but he bounced back, smothering his assignments in coverage and nearly intercepting Marcus Mariota.
Bell, on the other hand, did not inspire confidence. His lack of awareness in zone coverage made for an easy completion on 3rd-and-18.
Christian Parker wants to keep Caleb Downs near the line of scrimmage (in the slot), but you have to wonder if the first-year DC is thinking about promoting Reddy Steward from the practice squad to play in the nickel so he can move Downs to safety.
Regardless, the Cowboys' depth is going to be tested. The Ravens don't have elite pass-catching weapons, but Jackson's ability to evade pressure means Dallas' secondary will need to stay alert in coverage beyond just the first few seconds of the play.
Prediction
Ravens 30, Cowboys 27
Until proven otherwise, I don't trust this defense to put together enough stops against one of the elite offenses. Nobody would mistake the Giants or Commanders for top-five offenses, and yet Dallas ranks 30th in EPA per play, 31st in total EPA, and 32nd in success rate.
The communication improved in Week 2, and they've been really opportunistic as far as creating takeaways, and Sunday's loss to the Saints was more evidence of Baltimore being an inconsistent side, but this feels like a brutal matchup for a Cowboys defense that still hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt.
Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are exactly the kind of one-two punch that can expose Dallas' issues with tackling, gap discipline, and containing mobile quarterbacks. Until Christian Parker's group proves it can put together four quarters of competent football, it's hard to trust it against an offense this dangerous.
Dak Prescott and the offense will keep Dallas within striking distance, but this could be a carbon copy of the 2024 matchup in Arlington when the Cowboys had to play catch-up because of their defense.
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