Ravens @ Cowboys
Final Score: Ravens 28 – Cowboys 25
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
This was a beatdown – until it suddenly wasn’t. The Cowboys made it a game in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t overcome a ridiculously slow start to prevent their second straight home loss.
Two Up
- Derrick Henry, RB (BAL) – Leave it to Dallas to allow Henry to regain his form. The “King” and former Tennessee Titans star running back gashed the Cowboys’ defense for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per tote on the afternoon. There was seemingly nothing the ‘Boys front-seven could do to slow him down – Henry just kept rumbling and Baltimore kept feeding him. After a slower start to the season, it looks like the Ravens’ much-hyped free agent acquisition is starting to piece it together in Baltimore’s backfield.
- Brandon Aubrey, K (DAL) – After three games, Aubrey feels like the one consistently reliable weapon in Dallas. He was money in this one, a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals and an aced lone extra point attempt. The field goals in particular were impressive – his long from 65 yards out never felt questionable. The fact that he’s so reliable from so far out is a great feeling to have, particularly for fantasy managers. He also made history as the kicker on 2024’s first successful onside kick attempt.
Three Down
- CeeDee Lamb, WR (DAL) – I have no idea what’s going on with the newly paid star receiver in Dallas. Whether it’s the lack of preseason reps, a bad attitude, drama with Dak Prescott, lethargic offensive playcalling, or all of the above – something is definitely wrong here. Statistically, he had an OK game; the tape however gave a very different story. Lamb had a dumb fumble early on when the Cowboys had a chance to keep the game close, then looked to give poor effort on a number of passes that went his way. When Dallas finally started putting together an offensive effort in the fourth, Lamb wasn’t at the tip of the spear – he quite literally felt like an afterthought. For one of the elite receivers of the NFL, this sure was disappointing and extremely concerning.
- The Ravens Defense – After an 0-2 start and some disastrous endings to their games, the Ravens came into Arlington with desperation, and they sure played like it (to start). Baltimore locked down the Cowboys’ offense early, allowing Lamar Jackson and a resurgent offense to jump out to an early lead and give this game a doomed feeling for the home crowd. But talk about a tale of two games – the fourth quarter was a complete flip of the coin. Suddenly the Ravens could not stop Prescott as he spread the ball out to a multitude of different receivers to bring the game within three points. As well as they played to start, they almost choked a massive lead away and that’s worrisome.
- The Cowboys Running Game – For three quarters, Dallas was abysmal; I could put the entire team in this column. The low-hanging fruit would be to call the defense out, but that’s too easy. Rather, I’m going to harp on the lack of a run game for the Cowboys. It’s one thing to have inefficient running backs that struggle to produce outright, but it’s an insult to injury when you have to abandon it altogether because the game is out of reach. The Cowboys are one-dimensional because their running game is bad, and it’s forcing them into early holes against better teams. They knew what they were rolling into the season with when they chose not to really invest in the position, and are reaping what they sowed.
Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson: 12/15, 182 Yards, 1 TD | 14 Carries, 151 Yards, 1 TD
This finally looked like the former MVP.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in general hadn’t looked quite composed to start the season, but came out firing on all cylinders for this one. The clear focus was the running game (45 of 60 plays called were rushes – wild) so he didn’t have a ton of pass attempts, though he was quite surgical through the air, hitting Nelson Agholor for an opening drive bomb and later finding Rashod Bateman completely open in the endzone for a score. He was also impressive on the ground, carving up the Cowboys’ front seven to the tune of 6.2 yards per carry and a TD. He put the cherry on top of his performance by rushing for the final first down, killing what had been a furious Dallas comeback attempt and allowing the Ravens to kneel it out.
Running Back
Derrick Henry: 25 Carries, 151 Yards, 2 TDs | 1 Targets, 1 Reception, 23 Yards
All hail the King.
Dallas has a knack for allowing aging running backs to turn back time and relive their more dominant days. A week after Alvin Kamara came to town and terrorized a soft defense, Derrick Henry arrived and arguably one-upped him. There was no stopping the man as he cruised to 151 yards on the ground and two scores, crushing multiple Cowboys defenders play after play after play. He and Jackson were the main beneficiaries of a three-to-one run-to-pass ratio, as head coach John Harbaugh smartly looked to capitalize on a massive weakness in Dallas. Henry has had a quiet start to the season by his standards, but if Week 3 has been any indication, the King is certainly back.
Justice Hill: 5 Carries, 33 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 21 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Rashod Bateman: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 28 Yards, 1 TD
The top Ravens receiving option on the day, largely because of his wide-open TD from Jackson to rack up the early Baltimore lead. Bateman tied for the team lead in targets, a big deal considering how little Harbaugh called passing plays. He did well with what was given, finding easy gaps in coverage throughout the afternoon and pushing the sticks.
Zay Flowers: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 20 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards
Flowers also tied for the team lead in targets, but it didn’t amount to a ton for fantasy purposes. It was a quiet day and likely very disappointing for fantasy owners – still, he did well and proved crucial to the win, catching a pass over ballhawk CB Trevon Diggs on the final drive to move the sticks and kill time for the win.
Nelson Agholor: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 56 Yards
Charlie Kolar: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 30 Yards
Isaiah Likely: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Mark Andrews: 1 Target
I’m certain if you started Andrews in your fantasy lineups, disappointment would be an understatement.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: 28/51, 379 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Carries, 7 Yards, 1 TD
It took three quarters, but Dak came alive.
A combined three-TD day is nothing to scoff at, but it took virtually the entire game for Dak and the Cowboys’ offense to finally get going. A cacophony of three-and-outs, punts, and miscues rained down in Arlington, much to the chagrin of the home crowd and the glee of surprisingly numerous Baltimore fans in attendance. Prescott couldn’t find much going at the start, and his usual stalwart connection with Lamb was nowhere to be found. It even led to a fairly intense interaction on the sideline between the two that I’m certain won’t be scrutinized by the media this week ad nauseam.
It was the fourth quarter where Prescott looked methodical in his throws, putting great air under each ball to a litany of Dallas pass catchers, particularly a healthy Jake Ferguson and Kavontae Turpin on a corner toe-tap out of the back of the endzone. Alas, it was not enough to will the Cowboys to a comeback victory, but fantasy owners will take solace in the performance and hope he carries it over into Week 4 against New York.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: 8 Carries, 32 Yards | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 29 Yards
Dowdle was clearly the top dog out of the Cowboys’ backfield, but boy if that isn’t the most hollow of titles in Big D at the moment.
On paper, 4.0 yards per carry isn’t bad – but the majority of the runs called on the day for the Cowboys were stuffed from the very snap. The offensive line failed to get any sort of push, and Dowdle and the rest of the running backs simply don’t have it in them to make something out of nothing. The frustrating part is the play calling in Dallas – there’s no real effort to find creative ways to get Dowdle and Co. open in space, and the run game continues to be abandoned early due to the game script the Cowboys find themselves in.
If you are that desperate, Dowdle is the running back to have – but in case it wasn’t already brutally obvious, this isn’t the most viable of running games in the league at the moment.
Ezekiel Elliott: 3 Carries, 6 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Deuce Vaughn: 2 Carries, 5 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jake Ferguson: 11 Targets, 6 Receptions, 95 Yards
Jake Ferguson, two weeks removed from what appeared to be a very serious injury, was a bright spot for the Cowboys on the day.
He started off a little shaky (likely a bit of rust given the time he’s missed) but found himself as the go-to target on the day for Prescott, leading all receivers with 11 targets. Ferguson made a number of physical catches and helped spring the late-game efforts to close the Ravens’ lead and make it a more competitive outing. It was encouraging that he hit the ground running after missing a game, and given how often Dak looked his way, he’s sure to be a top option for the offense going forward.
CeeDee Lamb: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 67 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)
There were a few red flags in CeeDee Lamb’s performance in this one.
Watching Lamb’s antics on the sideline after the offensive struggles, it was obvious the frustration was mounting for the star wide receiver. However, while true elites find ways above it to help their teams, Lamb seemed to lower his efforts instead. It was telling that while Dallas was rallying to bring it within a score, Lamb was only targeted three total times on three drives. It’s not what you would normally expect from a top receiver in the NFL, and concerning since he is typically the main beneficiary from a pass-happy Cowboys attack that has no other option but to air it out, especially in blowouts. Hopefully, the connection between him and Prescott will adjust with more game reps and weaker opponents ahead, but it’s a worry to watch for as the season progresses.
Kavontae Turpin: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 51 Yards, 1 TD | 1 Carry, 1 Yard
It was positive to see Kavontae Turpin’s usage increase, especially down the stretch of this game. Early on the entire offense struggled mightily, but once the fourth quarter kicked off he helped Prescott kick it into gear and bring the game within three points after three quick scores. Turpin was the beneficiary of the last TD, an impressive route that led to an even better catch near the back of the endzone for six. His speed is exceptionally potent, and hopefully, with the results he produced here he’ll garner more and more looks his way.
Jalen Tolbert: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 42 Yards, 1 TD
Tolbert rose to the occasion to fill the gaps that the struggling WR1 and WR2 for Dallas couldn’t fill against Baltimore. He made a number of key catches in the final drives of the fourth quarter to push the Cowboys within striking distance. His TD, a 15-yard quick strike that Tolbert brought down in stride, followed the first successful onside kick league-wide and gave the Cowboys real hope of pulling off the come-from-behind win. Given the nature of this offense and the fact that they will have to rely on the passing game to be successful, it’s a good sign that Dak trusts him and consistently wants to send the ball his way.
Hunter Luepke: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 41 Yards
Jalen Brooks: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 24 Yards
Brandin Cooks: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
There will be better days, and the number of targets is positive – but Cooks has been a disappointment thus far, especially considering his starting role in the offense.
Luke Schoonmaker: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards