(Photo: The Ringer)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week Three
Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys
Ravens (1-1):
I ripped into them on Monday Evening Quarterback and The Prime, and if you didn’t hear what I had to say, please go back and listen. In Week 1, I gave them all the credit in the world with it being a new season, a new head coach in Jesse Minter, a new offensive scheme and, of course, another season with Lamar Jackson as your quarterback. They looked strong in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, and the most important thing I took away from them was that they were balanced offensively and, most importantly, they fed Derrick Henry the football to the tune of 24 carries, 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the day. I wish I could say that effort carried over into Week 2 against the Saints, but here we are, and Sunday is exactly why I don’t trust the Baltimore Ravens. How many times have I said on this site, on Monday Evening Quarterback and on each show I contribute to that, for this football team to win, Derrick must touch the football at least 20 times to have an impact? Let’s look at the numbers, class, shall we? Week 1, 24 carries, as I just mentioned, and Week 2, he only touched the ball 16 times. This isn’t rocket science, but they continue to shy away from what works for them. In that game on Sunday, they blew another lead, something they have become accustomed to doing over these last few years, which is primarily the reason why they gave John Harbaugh the pink slip. But it’s a different year, a different coach, and the same thing happened. So, was John truly the issue? I know it’s only one game, but still, this needed to be addressed. On Sunday, the Ravens make their way to Brazil for an interconference showdown.
Cowboys (1-1):
They looked terrible in Week 1 against the Giants, and I know their offseason was primarily spent on fixing up that defense. They made key moves, such as drafting Caleb Downs from Ohio State, who is my pick to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. They also acquired Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers and tried giving this unit a new identity on that side of the ball because, last season, they were among the worst defenses in the league. They also have a brand-new defensive coordinator in Christian Parker. On paper, everything looked good, but at the end of the day, you still have to play the game on the playing surface in real time, and I can tell they are still trying to get adjusted to Christian’s scheme. After the loss in Week 1, they moved on to Week 2 against another divisional opponent in the Washington Commanders, and they handled their business. I really need to give Dak Prescott his flowers while he’s still here to receive them because he really is a good quarterback, but he just gets the criticism because he plays for the Dallas Cowboys, and it’s just easy to hate on them. You couldn’t have asked Dak to play any better than what he did on Sunday in Week 2. He completed 26 of his 31 pass attempts for 279 yards and four touchdown passes, and he also became the Cowboys’ all-time leader in passing touchdowns. I’ve really seen him mature, not just into a serviceable quarterback, but a quality leader at that. Dallas will make its way to Brazil on Sunday for a showdown with the Ravens.
Ravens X-Factor: Rashod Bateman
The status of Zay Flowers is still up in the air, so if he is sidelined, Rashod becomes the top receiver for the Baltimore offense. When his number is called, he delivers. On Sunday against the Saints, he played 93 percent of the offensive snaps, which showed how much the Ravens can rely on him, especially when the receiver room is decimated by the injury bug. With Dallas giving all their attention to both Lamar and Derrick, I expect Rashod to see his share of single coverage from the Dallas secondary, and Lamar will look his way.
Cowboys X-Factor: George Pickens
I have to say, he’s handled himself better in Dallas than I thought he would, and I say that because he was vocal when he was with the Steelers when he didn’t get the ball. I remember saying that if he didn’t get his looks to make plays with the Cowboys, it would be worse for him to talk and make scenes because anything you say as a member of this football team becomes an unwarranted distraction. George has a big game coming up. I know he hasn’t scored a touchdown, but he just has to be patient. The Ravens will devote that attention to CeeDee Lamb all over the field, and that opens the door for George in this one on Sunday to make some plays for this Dallas offense.
Final Thoughts:
The last time these two played, it was in Week 3 of the 2024 season, and this was Derrick Henry’s first game with 100 rushing yards as a Raven. Two years later, they meet again, ironically in Week 3. The Ravens enter looking to get back into the win column, and the Cowboys are looking to build off their first win of the season. Can the Cowboys contain Lamar? They have struggled so far against mobile quarterbacks, and they have also struggled to limit the run, allowing 173 yards, which doesn’t bode well against a team that normally attacks defenses with its rushing attack. How do the Ravens come out and respond after that loss in Week 2? This is what I’m watching closely to see if they’ve truly turned the page and moved forward. Baltimore must get back to the basics: run the football until the Cowboys can prove they can stop it, keep Lamar in rhythm without having him carry the entire offense, and force Dak to beat you in long-yardage situations. The Cowboys must dare Lamar to beat them consistently from the pocket, keep their depleted secondary protected and try to limit this Ravens ground attack, which is the biggest key of them all. I see points being scored in this game, and this one will come down to the fourth quarter.
