Three Main Reasons The Cowboys Can Upset The Ravens In Brazil

The Dallas Cowboys have a very good chance to pick up on offense Sunday right iwhere the Saints left off against the Ravens defense.

This very well could end up being a high-scoring game with both defenses suffering on a terrible playing surface, and you have to wonder if, much like New Orleans last week, Dallas makes little pretense of running the ball and sees if the Ravens can do a better job against either of their three game-breakers in the pass game after Baltimore couldn’t manage to mitigate the one primary target a week ago – Chris Olave.

There is absolutely a path for the Cowboys to win in Week 3, especially with this game being in Brazil and more daunting travel for the Ravens than Dallas. It’s going to require a lot of points, because the Cowboys defense has yet to put anything on film this season that flashes the ability to muster a pass rush, defend the pass to quelch the run. That’s a bad combination, obviously, and being outside of their home stadium also hasn’t been great for them in recent years.

Here’s why the Cowboys could pull off the international victory:

Explosive Plays

Ravens head coach Jesse Minter makes a major point of emphasis on taking away anything downfield and especially anything easy downfield. But Dallas has a way to take the top off of zone looks and they have three match-up issues who can do things deep and receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are each in the top three in receptions on balls that travel at least 25 yards in the air over the last three years.

And the Ravens safety play has been pretty abysmal so far, with free safety Malaki Starks getting spun around and strong safety Jaylinn Hawkins looking indecisive in coverage. QBs have a 152.1 rating throwing on Starks this season.

A week ago it seemed like $19M corner Marlon Humphrey wanted Olave – that’s what it looked like to me and that’s what it looked like to NFL analyst Brian Baldinger – and that went pretty horribly, and Olave caught all five targets in the fourth quarter for 54 yards and a touchdown. Dallas also might be able to throw enough at the Ravens downfield they get Kyle Hamilton out of the box and out of linebacker duties, which is where he excels and where he makes the biggest impact in this defense.

Dak Prescott was 16/20 for 200 yards throwing to Lamb, Pickens and tight end Jake Ferguson against Minter’s Chargers defense last year.

Ravens Offensive Line Woes

I don’t fancy this Cowboys defense at all, and regret buying into the idea it might be improved this season. And the injury report isn’t great for them, either, and the don’t have difference makers right now. But if this ends up being Carson Vinson’s first career start at left tackle and if the Ravens interior offensive line is open for business for twists and stunts and blitzes, that can be the great equalizer.

The Ravens also failed to get Derrick Henry going with a head of steam, and when he is under at least a yard/yard-and-a-half before contact, then he becomes very mortal. Now, again, Dallas is allowing 1.87 before contact and the run defense has stunk for a long, long time … but this line could tip the balance.

Ravens 30-year-old, rookie offensive play caller Declan Doyle is aleady saying and doing some bizarre things that make you wonder about his ability to keep it simple stupid and grind games out.

Close And Late

The Ravens are chokers until proven otherwise.

Nobody blows big leads like they blow big leads since 2019. One team has been better scoring points through three quarters than Baltimore in that span (Buffalo) and no one has been worse collapsing in the fourth quarter. And they just did it in Minter’s first home game and defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver was talking on Thursday like it’s in their head and they sure as heck play like it’s in their head.

If this is close in the end, you have a Dallas offense that tends to do quite well late in games (even if it’s garbage time sometimes with a defense this bad).

Since 2020, Dallas is the second-highest scoring team in the fourth quarter (to Buffalo) and fifth in the NFL with a +114 scoring differential. Baltimore has a -40 scoring differential in that same span. Given what just transpired last week, the Ravens with a one-scoring in the fourth quarter might be right where the Cowboys want them. Minter being a total newbie head coach, and he's got a lot to clean up already.

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