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The Ravens got their first win of the season Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. But unlike cornerback Marlon Humphrey, quarterback Lamar Jackson was in no mood for revelry or celebration. On the team’s plane ride back to Baltimore, the two-time and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player quickly shut down Humphrey’s Instagram Live as the former All-Pro sought Jackson’s thoughts on the 28-25 victory in which the Ravens nearly blew a 22-point lead. “Marlo gonna be Marlo,” Jackson said after Wednesday’s practice in Owings Mills. “I just didn’t want the camera on me at the time. He knows this [but] I’m all about winning. I like to, I don’t wanna say win in style, but I just, when we’re up I just wanna punish people. I just want to get out of there with a dub. “We got things to work on. There’s always things to work on, no matter if we beat a team 40-0 or 28-[25].” Still, Humphrey basked in the win, which moved the Ravens to 1-2 on the season with a showdown against the undefeated Buffalo Bills (3-0) and quarterback Josh Allen at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night looming. “Lamar, talk to us a little bit about getting that first down, you know the flock, they gotta hear from you,” Humphrey said in the video, referencing Jackson’s 10-yard run with under two minutes remaining to seal the win. Jackson was not amused, however. “We got the dub. Keep stacking. You shouldn’t even be live right now,” he told Humphrey from his seat, pointing his finger at the veteran. “We gotta get right.” Humphrey then said “Yes, sir,” and complimented the quarterback’s jewelry and the amount of “drip” he had on before the two shook hands and the video cut out. Jackson was efficient against Dallas, going 12-for-15 for 182 yards with a touchdown along with accounting for 87 of the team’s 274 rushing yards, but the Cowboys staged a furious comeback with 19 fourth-quarter points to nearly erase the deficit. Asked Wednesday what “getting right” looks like to him, Jackson said playing “Ravens football.” “Put points on the board,” he continued. “Those guys on the other side, our defense, just stopping people, and it’s like, man, Ravens didn’t take their foot off their neck. That’s how I look at games with us.” While Humphrey hasn’t spoken with the media since Sept. 2, coach John Harbaugh said after the game that Jackson was “phenomenal.” Teammates have also lauded the quarterback’s leadership and his being more vocal this season. That was especially true after an 0-2 start that included losses to the Chiefs in Kansas City and an embarrassing, mistake-filled defeat in their home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens practice, September 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens missing 3 starting offensive linemen at Wednesday’s practice Baltimore Ravens | Ravens film study: How Daniel Faalele paved the way vs. Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb takes blame for actions in loss to Ravens: ‘Very detrimental’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh’s $20,500 fine for unnecessary roughness in Chiefs game rescinded The message following the latter was simple, according to tight end Isaiah Likely. “What we’re putting on film, on the field, just hasn’t been us,” Likely recounted. “We’ve been beating ourselves and harping on the little things. Play our brand of football and let’s see if they can beat us if we’re not beating ourselves.” Fourth-quarter collapses and being the most penalized team in the NFL have been among Baltimore’s biggest problems. They avoided a meltdown Sunday, but the Ravens have suffered 10 losses after leading by seven or more points in the fourth quarter since 2021, the most in the NFL. “When another team scores and we’re really just getting off the field and not helping our defense out, that’s the frustrating part,” Jackson said. “We gotta do something, too. We can’t just let another team look like they just steamroll and make a comeback, because that’s happened in the past and we wasn’t trying to let that happen again.” View the full article

Baltimore Ravens CB T.J. Tampa Jr. during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens DB Brandon Stephens during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) The ball comes off the hands of Baltimore Ravens safety Beau Brade before he makes the catch during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens CB Nate Wiggins during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Matt Robinson, Baltimore Ravens assistant defensive line coach/outside linebackers, works with DT Nnamdi Madubuike and OLB Tavius Robinson during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens CB Nate Wiggins catches the ball in front of safety Beau Brade during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike warms up during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) From right, Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens T, speaks with TE Charlie Kolar as they walk off the practice field at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens safety Eddie Jackson makes a catch during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens CB Nate Wiggins during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens safety #32 Marcus Williams during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike warms up during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens DT Travis Jones during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens OLB Tavius Robinson during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens DT Nnamdi Madubuike stretches during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: Baltimore Ravens DT Travis Jones during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: From left, Baltimore RavensOLB Kyle Van Noy and DE Brent Urban during practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Sept 25, 2024: From left, DB Brandon Stephens, DB, Marcus Williams, S, and Ar’Darius Washington, S, during Baltimore Ravens practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh speaks to reporters following practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens CB Nate Wiggins after practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy speaks to reporters following practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson speaks to reporters about his ability to dunk following practice at the Under Armour Performance Center. (Kim Hairston/Staff) View the full article

The highly scrutinized Ravens offensive line had its best showing of the year in Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. By Wednesday, all but one starter was listed on the injury report. Left guard Andrew Vorhees (ankle), right tackle Patrick Mekari (neck) and center Tyler Linderbaum (knee) all did not practice on Wednesday. Right guard Daniel Faalele was listed with a hip injury but was a full participant. Veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who made an appearance on last week’s injury report with an ankle injury, was the only starting offensive lineman not listed. All five finished Sunday’s game. Ravens coach John Harbaugh didn’t seem overly concerned about the matter days before a prime-time matchup against the visiting Buffalo Bills (3-0) on “Sunday Night Football.” “I think what happens in the course of the season is it’s a very physical sport,” he said. “You got guys that are going to be working through things pretty much every week. If you look around the league, you’ll see that pretty much from every team.” Pro Football Focus ranked Baltimore’s offensive line as the 19th-best in the league, up five spots from the previous week. According to their metrics, Vorhees’ Week 3 performance was the best outing of his young career, as the 2023 seventh-round draft pick did not allow a single pressure on 18 dropbacks. Meanwhile, rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten did not log an offensive snap with Mekari taking over at right tackle. Linderbaum graded out as the best center of the week in run blocking, per PFF, as Baltimore piled up 274 rushing yards, including 151 yards and two touchdowns from Derrick Henry. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith, limited by an ankle injury, was another new addition to the injury report. The two-time All-Pro has 15 solo tackles through three games with one interception. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson explains why he shut down Marlon Humphrey’s Instagram Live Baltimore Ravens | Ravens practice, September 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens film study: How Daniel Faalele paved the way vs. Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb takes blame for actions in loss to Ravens: ‘Very detrimental’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh’s $20,500 fine for unnecessary roughness in Chiefs game rescinded He’s expected to play a key role in guiding Baltimore’s defense against the mighty Bills, who Harbaugh called the top team in the league right now. On Monday night, Buffalo trounced the Jacksonville Jaguars, 47-10. Its success starts with quarterback Josh Allen, who has thrown the second most touchdown passes in the league this season (seven) without an interception while rushing for 85 yards and two scores. “I think [tackling him] is similar to Derrick Henry,” veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy said with a laugh. “You got to scratch, claw, fight. Anything you can do to get him on the ground.” Defensive tackle Michael Pierce (shoulder) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) did not practice while safety Ar’Darius Washington (ankle) was a full participant. Pierce, who rotates among a deep group of defensive linemen, appeared to be favoring his shoulder during Sunday’s win over Dallas. For Buffalo, linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) and cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) did not practice and have already been ruled out for Sunday’s game by coach Sean McDermott. Cornerback Kaiir Elam (neck) was limited Wednesday, while offensive lineman Tylan Grable (groin) was out. Allen was a full participant but is still on the injury report after hurting his left hand in the season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals. View the full article

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson saw the criticism and condemnation. Running back Derrick Henry sensed a need for an injection of confidence. Coach John Harbaugh had a plan in his back pocket. Through the first two games of this season, Baltimore’s offensive line seemed worrisomely if not oddly constructed, and its performance therefore unsurprisingly execrable. No one bore the ire of the fan base more than right guard Daniel Faalele, who at 6 feet 8 and 380 pounds looked like an obviously oversized square peg for a round hole. Men his size are, simply put, better suited for tackle, which is the position he had played his first two years in the NFL and all four years in college at Minnesota until the loss of three starters up front in the offseason left the Ravens scrambling on how best to plug a suddenly leaky dam. So it was no wonder then that on Sunday night deep inside AT&T Stadium after the Ravens’ nail-biting 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys that Jackson, sitting a few feet to Harbaugh’s right as the coach spoke from the adjacent podium, interrupted halfway through the news conference to shout out his besieged guard’s name in praise. “I’ve seen it,” Jackson said later. “I see a lot of things – when [people are] tweeting and stuff – but that’s just social media. At the end of the day, he is getting paid to do what he’s supposed to do, and he busted his behind each and every time. It’s not like he’s trying to mess up. All of us make mistakes out there on that field. But, he came in clutch for us today, and I want the same people who were giving him that doubt to praise him and give him that credit for what he deserves.” Then there was Henry, who two days before the game took the unusual step of spending time with the offensive line during warmups and after the game praised the group, along with fullback Patrick Ricard, by mentioning each of them by name. “I was letting them know, ‘I believe in you. We’ve got to do this together,’” he said. “It’s not an individual thing — we’re all tied in together. It’s not going to be perfect, I’m going to make a mistake and be wrong when they did their job right and vice versa. It’s a long season, so there’s going to be adversity. As long as we stick together and believe in one another, then we’ll be good.” Harbaugh didn’t make the expected changes to the offensive line because he didn’t have to. The Ravens ran all over the Cowboys, and while it was a group effort to reach 274 rushing yards, no one was perhaps more improved than the 24-year-old Australia native and 2022 fourth-round draft pick, particularly on paving the way for Jackson and Henry. Faalele was the second-highest-rated lineman on the team in zone run blocking behind only Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum with an 80.3 grade, per Pro Football Focus. His pass blocking wasn’t as sharp, but it didn’t have to be with Baltimore throwing the ball just 15 times. He allowed just two pressures and on sacks. “It’s good knowing that they believe in me,” the soft-spoken Faalele said. “I’m just going to keep getting better and keep working at what I need to get better at. “I try to just block out all the noise.” Ravens right guard Daniel Faalele, right, makes a block to help lead the way for running back Derrick Henry in Sunday’s win against the Cowboys. (Gareth Patterson/AP) Sunday, there were several plays where he blocked out the Cowboys, too. There were perhaps no better and consistent examples than on the Ravens’ last drive of the first half and the opening one of the third quarter, both resulting in touchdowns. On the former, Faalele helped clear the way for runs of 12 and 13 yards for Henry early in the drive. Then, on a screen pass, he briefly blocked defensive tackle Mazi Smith before releasing downfield to gobble up safety Donovan Wilson, springing Henry for a 23-yard gain. Three plays later, Faalele briefly helped on defensive end Carlos Watkins before picking up a twisting DeMarcus Lawrence, buying Jackson enough time to find Rashod Bateman wide-open in the end zone. “What made me stick with it was they were doing so well,” Harbaugh said of the offensive line. “Running the ball, pass protection — they were doing a really good job of blocking. They took care of their pass rushers, especially Micah [Parsons] — they did a great job there. So, I just felt like there was no reason to make a change there.” Parsons, one of the great pass rushers in the game, was held to just five tackles, one quarterback hit and zero sacks. This, seven days after Las Vegas Raiders star edge rusher Maxx Crosby tore through Baltimore’s line and straight to AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Still, there were occasions Sunday when Faalele was too slow or got pushed around or both. On the Ravens’ second series of the game, he was unable to help Mekari after Parsons beat the tackle to the inside and the All-Pro linebacker chased Jackson down on a scramble to the sideline. One play later, Smith easily beat Faalele on the outside but was saved when Jackson quickly unloaded a short out to receiver Nelson Agholor, who juked his defender and raced 56 yards down the sideline. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb takes blame for actions in loss to Ravens: ‘Very detrimental’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh’s $20,500 fine for unnecessary roughness in Chiefs game rescinded Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 3: That’s the Derrick Henry the Ravens wanted Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens nearly collapsed again. Here’s coach John Harbaugh’s explanation. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on Dak Prescott’s illegal pass: ‘It would’ve been a safety if I did that’ Then on a third-and-8 from their own 34 early in the second quarter, Faalele’s footwork and hand placement lagged as he tried unsuccessfully to prevent defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa from getting by his outside shoulder. Jackson was nearly sacked as he got off a short pass to Zay Flowers that only went for 4 yards and led to a punt. There were other times, too, when Faalele was moved backward, including near the end of a long day that included 63 snaps on offense and a furious comeback by the Cowboys. But when the game was in the balance, Jackson came through, picking up 10 yards on a run-pass option on second-and-9 with under 2 minutes remaining to seal it. One of the blockers leading the way? A pulling Faalele, who picked off linebacker Eric Kendricks to prevent him from closing the hole. “I just feel like we were all just leaning on each other more and trusting each other, believing in each other and just trusting ourselves,” Faalele said. “It’s a big relief [to get my] first win as a starter, and I’m just happy.” View the full article

FRISCO, Texas — CeeDee Lamb took the blame for everything. He owned the end zone tantrum, loud chats with teammates and coaches and his poor performance. After skipping out on speaking with the media following the Cowboys’ loss to the Ravens on Sunday, Lamb discussed everything two days later. “Honestly I got to be truthful to myself and I played a part in that loss,” he said. “A big part honestly, and nor did my body language nor attitude, approaching the situation help the situation or the outcome of the game. Lamb added of his actions, “Very detrimental. Detrimental and yeah, I’ll make up for it.” Lamb is normally a smooth operator on the field. It’s the reason why the Cowboys signed him to one of the richest contracts in NFL history at the receiver position. But the first three weeks of the season have been turbulent. Out of 24 targets, he’s got 13 catches and one touchdown. Last season he caught a career-high 74.% of passes directed toward him. The offensive issues Lamb faced came to a head against the Ravens. In a moment telling of that 28-25 loss, Prescott misfired on a potential touchdown pass to Lamb in the end zone, but a pass interference call was negated by an offsetting holding penalty. Lamb sat in the end zone yelling and slapping both hands to the turf. He later arrived on the sidelines and had a loud discussion with Prescott and anyone else nearby. You could tell he was frustrated. Maybe the contract was getting to him. Maybe the pressures of trying to find a flow within an offense he didn’t work in during training camp because of his contract holdout was rearing its ugly head. He finished the game with two drops, a false start and four catches for 67 yards. He also fumbled in the red zone. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb fumbles the ball after being hit by Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins in the first half Sunday in Arlington, Texas. (Gareth Patterson/AP) “You got to start with the man in the mirror and I’m a huge believer in that,” Lamb said. “And watching that game kind of pissed me off, but I did that. I can’t get mad at nobody else. So with that being said, I’ve learned.” The Cowboys have gone through this with Lamb, most recently last season. After four weeks, Lamb had 23 catches for 309 yards with a touchdown. He caught 76.7% of his passes. Those numbers look so much better than what he’s producing now. And Lamb wasn’t happy about it then. The next week at San Francisco, Lamb caught four passes for 49 yards and no touchdowns in a 42-10 loss. Lamb went off. After the 49ers game, receiver Brandin Cooks became Lamb’s consigliere. Cooks understood then Lamb was playing for a huge contract and poor performances hamper that. The two talked about getting on the same page with Prescott and coach Mike McCarthy, in his first year with this team as the playcaller. Over the next eight games, Lamb had 69 catches for 859 yards and seven touchdowns. Lamb’s confidence soared along and everyone forgot about that sorry performance against the 49ers. On Thursday night, the Cowboys visit the New York Giants and Lamb has to respond in a similar fashion. “I plan on doing it again,” he said. The problem with doing it again isn’t so much what defenses are doing to Lamb, it’s finding a rhythm with Prescott. QB1 wasn’t available to tell his side of the story because team officials elected to have him speak after the Giants game. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens film study: How Daniel Faalele paved the way vs. Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Ravens OLB Odafe Oweh’s $20,500 fine for unnecessary roughness in Chiefs game rescinded Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 3: That’s the Derrick Henry the Ravens wanted Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens nearly collapsed again. Here’s coach John Harbaugh’s explanation. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on Dak Prescott’s illegal pass: ‘It would’ve been a safety if I did that’ McCarthy has turned Lamb into an elite receiver that takes over games. But it’s something we haven’t seen in the early stages of the season. “CeeDee is a primary focal point for us game planning and it’ll be a primary focal point for the defense,” McCarthy said. “That’s why you play the game. We’ll continue to do what we have done with him. There’s always little things you’re looking to build on, certain routes and so forth.” The Cowboys can line Lamb up in the backfield, use him on Jet Sweeps, line him up in three receiver spots. When he’s on the field and used properly his talent is unmatched. After three weeks, he hasn’t shown it. “Granted, it was a bad game on my end. I fully take accountability in that,” he said. “I have no shame in that. So with that being said, I will be better in the future and it’s going to be fun.” ____ ©2024 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. View the full article

Ravens outside linebacker Odafe Oweh feels vindicated, and as a result he’ll get to keep his money. Tuesday, the 2021 first-round draft pick revealed via Instagram and a letter from the NFL that the $20,500 fine he was levied for a hit on Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco during Baltimore’s season opener in Kansas City has been rescinded. The play in question occurred at 12:21 of the fourth quarter and on second-and-5 from the Ravens’ 41-yard line. Pacheco, lined up on the left side of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the shotgun, took the handoff to the right and cut back left before being brought down by Oweh in what appeared to be a routine play. Oweh was not flagged during the game but was later fined. View the full article

Each week of the NFL season, The Baltimore Sun will recap the best and worst from around the league. Here are our winners and losers from Week 3: Winner: Derrick Henry It had been slowly building for two weeks, like a train gathering steam. A bruising touchdown run to give the Ravens their first points of the season. A strong second half to help close what should have been a Week 2 win. Sunday, he reminded everyone why he’s an all-time great. Henry’s 25-carry, 151-yard, two-touchdown performance in a closer-than-it-should-have-been 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys was a breath of fresh air for a Ravens offense that faced questions about its identity during a frustrating 0-2 start. With quarterback Lamar Jackson relying mostly on his legs and short passes, Henry was the star, battering his way into the end zone for the Ravens’ second touchdown, knifing through the defense and taking a screen pass deep into Cowboys territory on another scoring drive and silencing the home crowd with a devastating 26-yard touchdown run that gave Baltimore a 28-6 lead early in the second half. And, oh, who can forget that vintage stiff arm. If not for the Ravens’ bungling of the fourth quarter, in which they allowed 19 unanswered points in a near total collapse, Henry’s day might have been more celebrated. Still, he left quite an impression on his new teammates. “It’s like seeing a superhero in real life,” backup running back Justice Hill said. “It’s a dream,” fullback Patrick Ricard said of blocking for him. “He is such a beast.” “He did what kings do,” said Jackson, who joked with Henry that he might have left more yards and touchdowns on the table. Henry was quick to credit his offensive line, a sore subject for those who saw the Ravens struggling and wondered why changes weren’t made. Coach John Harbaugh stuck with the same lineup, and nobody appreciated it more than Henry. “They came out with a mindset of moving guys off the line of scrimmage [and] being physical and playing the Ravens style of football – and I think they did a great job of that today,” he said. “For me to have success — I told them before the game — I said, ‘When [you] go, I go.’” The Ravens and Henry always felt like a perfect match, with his bruising style complementing Jackson’s shiftiness and speed. One big game against a struggling defense doesn’t answer every question, but we got a glimpse of how unstoppable this offense can be when it’s clicking. Ravens running back Derrick Henry surpassed 100 rushing yards Sunday for the first time in his Baltimore career. (Sam Hodde/Getty) Loser: Cleveland Browns You could not have asked for a better start Sunday. The New York Giants fumbled the opening kickoff, and on the Browns’ first play from scrimmage, Deshaun Watson threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper. It was all downhill from there. Playing against a team many wrote off after a frustrating 0-2 start, Cleveland could barely move the ball in a 21-15 loss. After that opening touchdown, the Browns gained just 25 net yards on their next seven possessions, including a three-play drive that lost 15 yards. They punted six times, finished 4-for-14 on third down and fumbled twice while averaging just 3.4 yards per play. Quarterback Deshaun Watson once again looked lost, taking eight sacks and averaging just 5.3 yards per attempt. Cleveland’s offensive line was once the strength of this team, but mounting injuries and the departure of esteemed coach Bill Callahan has rendered that unit a shell of itself. The absence of running back Nick Chubb hasn’t helped either, but Watson has been among the league’s worst quarterbacks since being suspended for 11 games in 2022 after being accused by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. According to ESPN, Watson’s QBR of 23.2 this season is better than only one other qualifier: Bryce Young. It’s fair to wonder how much more patience the Browns will have with their starting quarterback and the remaining money on his $230 million guaranteed contract. Jameis Winston is waiting in the wings, and two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski has proven he can get the best out of backups after last season’s stunning run with Joe Flacco under center. For the sake of Stefanski’s job and others in the building, it might be time to make a change. Malik Willis is 2-0 with the Packers and has looked brilliant along the way. (Stew Milne/AP) Winner: Malik Willis Situation matters. In 2022, the rookie was thrown into the fire by Titans coach Mike Vrabel after Ryan Tannehill was injured and struggled mightily, completing just 11 of 26 passes in two spot starts. He didn’t play much the following year and was traded to Green Bay in August for a seventh-round pick. When Jordan Love suffered a knee injury in the season opener, Willis was once again back in the starting role. This time, he had a coach and a play-caller who understood how to use him. After a 30-14 win over his former team Sunday, Willis is 2-0 with the Packers and has looked brilliant along the way. Against the Titans, he completed 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown and was the team’s leading rusher with six carries for 73 yards and a score. While coach Matt LeFleur has built a creative game plan for the 25-year-old signal-caller to take advantage of his rushing ability, he’s also trusted Willis to throw downfield and has been rewarded. On Sunday, he completed three passes 15-plus yards past the line of scrimmage, including a 37-yard completion to Christian Watson. “What he’s been able to do is, I’ve never seen something like this,” LaFleur said of Willis after the game. Of course, there’s no quarterback controversy in Green Bay after Love signed a four-year, $220 million this offseason. But Willis has earned a backup role in the league because of what he’s been able to do over the past two weeks. Winner: Brian Flores Quarterback Sam Darnold has earned plenty of praise for his career revival in Minnesota. But the man who deserves even more attention for the Vikings’ stunning 3-0 start is their defensive coordinator. Flores has had a winding career, serving as a key defensive coach under Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots before becoming head coach of the Miami Dolphins. After a controversial exit in Miami, which prompted Flores to file a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, Dolphins, Giants and Denver Broncos alleging discrimination, he was hired in 2022 as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach with the Steelers. In 2023, he was hired by the Vikings to take over their defense. Minnesota showed tremendous growth in Flores’ first season, rising from 24th to 11th in defensive DVOA, a mark of overall efficiency. This year, the Vikings are No. 1. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens nearly collapsed again. Here’s coach John Harbaugh’s explanation. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on Dak Prescott’s illegal pass: ‘It would’ve been a safety if I did that’ Baltimore Ravens | Yannick Ngakoue signing with Ravens’ practice squad to help bolster pass rush Baltimore Ravens | NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens kicker Justin Tucker working through ‘technique issue,’ John Harbaugh says The season began with a blowout of the Giants and Daniel Jones, who was sacked five times and intercepted twice in a 28-6 win by Minnesota. Then came a 23-17 victory over the 49ers and Brock Purdy, who told Flores “your scheme is crazy” after being sacked six times and throwing an interception as San Francisco went a combined 3-for-13 on third and fourth down. But Sunday was Flores’ masterpiece. The Vikings completely flummoxed Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw two interceptions — his first since November 2023 — and was sacked four times in Minnesota’s 34-7 blowout win. Stroud was shown on television cameras exasperated with his head in his hands on the sideline, something we haven’t yet seen from the rising star in his young career. How good has Flores been? The Vikings are the only team over the past 20 years to record five or more sacks in each of their first three games. “I keep telling people, the way this defense is run, you’ve got to have a crazy person at the head of it,” cornerback Shaq Griffin said after the game, according to The Athletic. “That’s [Flores]. He’s the only person that can do it. That’s the reason why all these teams are still confused.” If the Vikings keep this up, Flores has earned another shot to be a head coach. View the full article

With nine minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Ravens clinging to a 16-point lead, the Cowboys opted for an onside kick and John Harbaugh sighed a breath resembling relief. The Ravens coach figured his team would take possession, chew some clock and score some insurance points. “The game was over,” Harbaugh said. “I was happy.” Then Zay Flowers muffed the return and Dallas recovered. Seven plays later, the Cowboys scored and cut the deficit to 10 – a resuscitation for a team that had trailed 28-6 before the Ravens squeaked out a 28-25 win on Sunday. “We cracked the door open,” Harbaugh said. “We opened the door a little bit there, and that’s where you have to learn, as a team. And our guys know that.” Harbaugh spent time Monday afternoon talking about the details of that onside kick — Dallas’ turf versus Baltimore’s grass, the stylistic spin from off the tee — as part of a larger theme. His Ravens have lost 10 games after leading by seven or more points in the fourth quarter since 2021, most in the NFL. In back-breaking fashion, Baltimore did eventually close out its first win. The Ravens avoided a disastrous 0-3 start thanks to a clutch third-down conversion catch from Flowers and Lamar Jackson’s deception in the final two minutes. “Once you start doing that, you start closing the door on people, you start choking the life out of the game a little bit,” Harbaugh said, “that’s when you become a really good closing football team. We’re gonna get there.” Sunday was Baltimore’s second fourth-quarter meltdown in as many weeks. Last week, it was a 10-point lead until cornerback Brandon Stephens was flagged for pass interference in the end zone and the door flung back open. This week, the onside kick turned the knob. Harbaugh chalked both blown leads to two intertwining defensive issues. “Pass rush and pass coverage tie together,” Harbaugh said. “We’re rushing the passer well but we could be a little more consistent in terms of our rush lanes. … Then coverage is just getting a little loose in the fourth quarter for whatever reason.” Dallas’ touchdown drive after recovering the onside kick consisted of four complete passes on six straight attempts starting from favorable field position. Quarterback Dak Prescott wasn’t rushed to release the ball over that stretch. And Baltimore’s secondary couldn’t get a hand in front of those passes. It ended with a wide-open slant route to Jalen Tolbert in the end zone. The third-year receiver snuck behind linebacker Roquan Smith while safety Eddie Jackson flared the opposite direction to double-team the contrasting post route. Harbaugh urged his defense to not play like they’re avoiding giving up the big play. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | NFL winners and losers, Week 3: That’s the Derrick Henry the Ravens wanted Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on Dak Prescott’s illegal pass: ‘It would’ve been a safety if I did that’ Baltimore Ravens | Yannick Ngakoue signing with Ravens’ practice squad to help bolster pass rush Baltimore Ravens | NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens kicker Justin Tucker working through ‘technique issue,’ John Harbaugh says To not take their foot off the pedal after such a strong defensive start. One that was highlighted by a Nate Wiggins forced fumble inside the red zone and broadly complemented by Baltimore suffocating Prescott, who was fighting to fit passes into tight windows when he was even able to get the ball out. Then, on three consecutive fourth-quarter drives, the Cowboys marched 64 yards in 1:48, 56 yards in 1:46 and 91 yards in 2:33. Harbaugh admitted after the win that their offense might have gotten too conservative. On Monday, he effused concern about the defense letting up. “Play the same way in the third quarter, and then play even more that way in the fourth quarter and make them earn it,” Harbaugh said. “I do think sometimes — maybe it’s weighing on their brains a little bit about not letting that happen, and then it happens. We’re capable of it, we just have to get it done.” View the full article

Perhaps lost in the drama of the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday was a strange play in the first half. With Baltimore leading 14-3 in the second quarter, the Cowboys were backed up near their own end zone, facing a third-and-10 from the 7-yard line. Quarterback Dak Prescott dropped back to pass and was tackled by Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike near the goal line. As Prescott fell to the ground, he tossed the ball forward to left guard Tyler Smith, who caught it and was immediately tackled behind the line of scrimmage. The only problem? Smith was not an eligible receiver, resulting in a penalty for illegal touching. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday that the play might be “a loophole in the rule.” “They said it’s not intentional grounding because somebody caught it, even though it’s an illegal receiver that caught it, which is a penalty. So, basically, they get rewarded for having a penalty there,” Harbaugh said of the explanation he received from officials. “That’s probably not what they want, by the rules, so we’ll see. Maybe it’s a loophole in the rule, I’m not sure. It’s something they’ll probably look at. Because a receiver caught it, you can’t call intentional grounding even though it’s an illegal receiver, and there’s no eligible receiver in the area, which would constitute grounding.” While the play ultimately didn’t cost the Ravens the win in Arlington, Texas, as they took a 28-6 lead early in the second half, it might have cost them two points and a chance to turn the game into a bigger rout. Baltimore needed to hang on in the final minutes after Dallas scored 19 straight points in the fourth quarter, getting a clutch throw from Jackson to Zay Flowers on third down with 2:18 remaining and a 10-yard run from Jackson after the two-minute warning to seal the victory. View the full article

A familiar face is returning to the Ravens. Outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue is signing with Baltimore’s practice squad, a source with direct knowledge confirmed to The Baltimore Sun on Monday. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news. Ngakoue, 29, spent part of the 2020 season with the Ravens after Baltimore traded a 2021 third-round pick and 2022 conditional fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the former 2015 third-rounder out of Maryland. He played nine games (three starts) for the Ravens that season and had three sacks, 11 tackles, two forced fumbles and a pass defensed. The move is mildly surprising with Baltimore having racked up the ninth-most sacks in the NFL with 10 through the first three weeks. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens QB Lamar Jackson on Dak Prescott’s illegal pass: ‘It would’ve been a safety if I did that’ Baltimore Ravens | NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens kicker Justin Tucker working through ‘technique issue,’ John Harbaugh says Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens need to find answers after looking lost in coverage vs. Cowboys | COMMENTARY But he also brings experience to a mostly young pass rush group with four of the Ravens’ five outside linebackers age 25 or younger. Only Kyle Van Noy, 33, is older. After playing briefly in Baltimore, Ngakoue signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the Raiders and went on to lead Las Vegas in sacks with 10 in 2021. The Raiders then traded Ngakoue to the Indianapolis Colts, for whom he tallied 9 1/2 sacks in 15 games. A free agent last year, he signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the Chicago Bears and had four sacks, seven quarterback hits and 22 tackles in 13 games alongside Montez Sweat before suffering a season-ending broken ankle. Ngakoue recorded at least eight sacks each of his first seven years in the league, which included his first four years in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars before being traded to the Vikings in August 2020. The Washington native has 69 career sacks in 123 games. View the full article

Dozetta Lewis, in two years as a breast cancer survivor is overcome with joy as Tanishia Lewis, with Making Strides of Baltimore and The American Cancer Society smiles during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Jill Louden of Forest Hill MD, 6-1/2 years cancer free, reacts upon seeing the treat that’s in store for dozens of survivors during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A ring light frames Connie Feldman of Lancaster PA and Ashley Tamayo of Towson during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) April Lattimore of Rosedale, breast cancer survivor of seven years runs in, reacting to cheers from Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “Losing is not an option for us,” says Desireé Marcano of Howard Park who holds her bouquet during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) A ring light frames Amber Kwong, left who affixes eyelashes to Connie Feldman of Lancaster PA while Ashley Tamayo of Towson has makeup applied by Kimberly Gedrich, right during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Belinda Moore of Baltimore, a cancer survivor smiles as Danielle Powell styles her hair in front of Michelle Melton of Bowie, with stylist Ashley Beasley during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) From left, Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson #95, wide receiver Tylan Wallace, defensive back Brandon Stephens, cornerback Nate Wiggins and running back Justice Hill stand behind Sherri Gernhart of White Marsh, Karen Kaskel of Perry Hall, and Jill Louden of Forest Hill who pose for instant photos during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Vanity lights frame Connie Feldman of Lancaster PA who has her makeup done by Amber Kwong, during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace poses between Michelle Waldgeir of Canton, left and Karen Rallis of Hampstead during the NFL’s Crucial Catch initiative, hosted by American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Baltimore Ravens team locker room. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is working through a “technique issue,” coach John Harbaugh said after the seven-time Pro Bowl selection missed a field goal attempt for the third-straight week in the team’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. “He knows exactly what it is,” Harbaugh said. “He just needs to smooth it back out. I’m very confident that he will.” With a chance to put the Ravens up 31-6 in the fourth quarter, Tucker missed from 46 yards, hooking his attempt outside the left upright, just as he had on longer misses in the team’s first two games. Until his latest miss, worries had focused on Tucker’s 1-for-7 record from 50 yards or beyond over the last two seasons. He missed just once inside 50 yards last season. Fox’s broadcast captured Harbaugh speaking with Tucker on the sideline at the end of Sunday’s game. “We’re pretty close,” Harbaugh said Monday. “We’ve been together for a long time and had a lot of conversations. It was just two guys talking about where we’re at. I love the guy and respect him. He’s everything that you want in a player and a friend. That was the basis of that.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens need to find answers after looking lost in coverage vs. Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | What Tom Brady said about the Ravens, including his nickname for Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 28-25 win over Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens ride Derrick Henry to huge lead, hang on to beat Cowboys, 28-25, for first win After Tucker missed wide left from 56 yards in the Ravens’ 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, he said: “As simply as I can put it, it’s not my favorite topic of discussion, but I just missed the kick. I don’t want to continue having this conversation. When I go out on the field, I’m confident that I’m going to nail every single kick, no matter where we are on the field.” Tucker remains the most accurate kicker in NFL history with a field goal percentage of 89.7%, but his struggles have come at a time when his peers are making long attempts at unprecedented rates. Dallas’ All-Pro, Brandon Aubrey, hit almost casually from 65 yards (one short of Tucker’s record long) against the Ravens. “Justin knows that we support him. I’ve tried to make sure he knows that,” Harbaugh said. “The talent, the ability, all that stuff is there. That hasn’t gone anywhere. You see it all the time. But it’s technique thing, so we’ll coach it from a technical standpoint. Randy Brown does a great job coaching it. Randy’s the foremost guy in the business at that, so they work on that every single day. Justin’s a pro. I have great belief that he’ll get the job done.” View the full article

The Ravens nearly blew a 22-point lead in a game they had to win, but Lamar Jackson put away the Cowboys with a clutch throw and run. Here are five things we learned from the game: The Ravens needed Lamar Jackson to play like the MVP to avoid an existential meltdown They could not start 0-3. No way, no how. They were the best team in football going into last year’s playoffs. They’re loaded with Pro Bowl talent, led by reigning Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. They expect to play meaningful games in January. But the history could not have been clearer. None of that would have mattered if the Ravens lost three games to start the season. NFL teams rarely dig pits that deep and climb out to play in the postseason. For three quarters in Dallas, they answered this threat to their very identity with overwhelming force, running as they pleased and clamping down on any threat from the other side. They led 28-6 to start the fourth quarter, and narratives of a season reborn danced in all our heads. Then, they did everything they could to toss it away, just as they had a week earlier against the Las Vegas Raiders. Too many penalties? Check. The Ravens committed 13 for 105 yards, not aided by an embarrassingly misguided roughing call on a routine hit by outside linebacker Odafe Oweh. Shoddy coverage and missed tackles? Check. Dak Prescott drove the Cowboys to three touchdowns in six minutes. Special teams nightmares? Check. The Ravens could not corral a slippery onside kick, and Justin Tucker hooked another field goal attempt, this one from 46 yards, outside the left upright. Vanilla play calling? Check. They went just 40 yards on a pair of fourth-quarter drives that could have extended their lead. So there they were, up just 28-25 and staring all their demons dead in the eyes. They had the ball, and they needed Jackson to pull them back from the lip of the abyss. On third-and-6, he threw fearlessly to the right sideline, where he saw Zay Flowers against one-on-one coverage. That 9-yard connection guaranteed Prescott would not receive the ball with ample time to operate. Jackson still needed one more first down. He faked a handoff to Flowers and picked his way past three would-be tacklers to gain those precious 10 yards. “That’s almost unfair right there,” Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of them all, said on FOX’s broadcast. “What a run.” Lamar Jackson’s 87-yard rushing performance gave Baltimore a boost in its 28-25 win over Dallas. (Gareth Patterson/AP) We thought we were watching one kind of story for most of this afternoon in Texas — the Ravens rising to meet their desperate moment. It turned into something different — one of the greatest athletes Baltimore has ever seen saving his teammates and coaches from crushing humiliation and demands for sweeping change. “I thought Lamar was just phenomenal throughout the game and then took over the last drive,” coach John Harbaugh said. It had to be Jackson in the end, and he played his part. The defense did nothing to erase worries over its inability to protect leads It was downright spooky watching the Ravens stumble into the same patterns that cost them victory against the Raiders. Did special teams mishaps and tepid fourth-quarter drives put a proud defense in bad spots, having to stop Prescott on short fields as fatigue set in? Sure. Parsons streaked past Tyler Linderbaum for a third-down pressure in the second quarter after he lined up over center instead of on the edge. He might have done more damage had Jackson needed to drop back more. But the fact is, many fans and analysts worried he would wreck the game by targeting Faalele, Mekari and left guard Andrew Vorhees. That never happened. Jackson seemed particularly happy for Faalele, whose missed block on a stunting Maxx Crosby led to a key sack in the Raiders loss. “It’s not like he’s trying to mess up,” he said. “All of us make mistakes out there on that field. But, he came in clutch for us today, and I want the same people who were giving him that doubt to praise him and give him that credit for what he deserves.” Before the game, Henry told the line, “Where you go, I go.” “I think the offensive line allowed that to happen,” Henry said when asked how he found his rhythm in Dallas. “They came out with a mindset of moving guys off the line of scrimmage, being physical and playing the Ravens style of football. I think they did a great job of that today.” We saw 2023 Kyle Hamilton assert himself in the first half Hamilton couldn’t get away from “kind of annoying” aches and pains, including a back injury that limited him in practice last week. But he did not blame those or his role in Orr’s schemes for his pair of subpar games to start the season. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens need to find answers after looking lost in coverage vs. Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | What Tom Brady said about the Ravens, including his nickname for Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 28-25 win over Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens ride Derrick Henry to huge lead, hang on to beat Cowboys, 28-25, for first win Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 “He’s given us all the answers,” Hamilton said Friday. “We just need to go out there and do it. It’s up to us, the leaders on the defense and on the whole team as a whole, to go out there and execute the game plan.” He jumped into that mission with aplomb in the first half against Dallas, swooping off the edge for a pressure on Prescott, slicing in to drop running back Ezekiel Elliott for no gain and crushing wide receiver KaVontae Turpin on an attempted end-around. His helmet came off on that last hit, and Hamilton hefted it like a war hammer as he celebrated. This was the unique player we saw last season, when the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Hamilton morphed from edge rusher to inside linebacker to sticky nickel back depending on what the Ravens needed for a given series. He finished with a career-high 12 tackles in Dallas, and though he wasn’t perfect (see that aforementioned missed tackle in the fourth quarter), he was back to being a noticeable force. Hamilton will need to be that every week for the Ravens to resume their expected perch among the league’s top defensive teams. Other than Jackson, no one on the roster is more important. View the full article

ARLINGTON, Texas — The problems in the secondary have become a primary concern for the Ravens. They pounded the Dallas Cowboys for nearly three quarters Sunday in a game that should have been a blowout, yet the Ravens had to get a 10-yard run from quarterback Lamar Jackson late in the fourth quarter to secure a 28-25 victory against the Dallas Cowboys before a crowd of 93,566 at AT&T Stadium. By all accounts, this game should have easily been put in the win column. The Ravens led 21-6 at halftime and 28-6 at the end of the third quarter. But the Cowboys scored 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including touchdown passes of 15 and 16 yards in the final 7:07, to make this game unbelievably, and at times unrealistically, close. Now, it’s time to take a more serious look at first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. It’s not that the Ravens are significantly worse than a year ago, but the coverage in the secondary has been poor, which is why they were ranked No. 31 in pass defense entering Sunday. It’s easy to see why. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed a 15-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jalen Tolbert with 7:07 left in the game and then a 16-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin with 2:53 remaining to pull the Cowboys within 28-25. The scores weren’t so mystifying, but the looks on the faces of Ravens middle linebacker Roquan Smith and cornerback Marlon Humphrey were puzzling. It was a clear signal that the Ravens were lost in coverage. That might happen if an opposing team is balanced with the run and the pass, but the Cowboys were clearly one-dimensional in the fourth quarter, and their only resort was to throw the ball. Yet the Ravens had to sweat out the victory after giving up only 189 yards in the first half. Before the start of the season, there was major concern about the Ravens getting consistent pressure on quarterbacks after defensive end-outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney signed with the Carolina Panthers. But in three games, the outside linebacker tandem of Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh has performed well. The Ravens sacked Prescott three times Sunday and got pressure on him seven other times. But there is something missing in the secondary. At first, the coverage was logical because the Ravens looked to be playing a lot of zone and not wanting to give up the big play. But by the fourth quarter, they were lost, like nomads in the desert. They couldn’t find Dallas receivers if they had GPS. A team can get away with that against some opponents, but that won’t work in the postseason. It didn’t work two weeks ago against the Kansas City Chiefs or even a week ago against the Las Vegas Raiders. “It definitely has a sour taste in our mouths, just based on how good we started and what the score looked like, especially those three first quarters that we had,” Oweh said. “At the end of the day, it’s getting that ‘W’ and getting that win, and we got it, but we definitely have some things to clean up. Same story.” He is correct. For the first three quarters, the Ravens looked like the Ravens of a year ago, when they had the best defense in the NFL. They kept safety Kyle Hamilton up near or around the line of scrimmage, and he finished as the team’s leading tackler with 12. Smith, who had been sluggish in the first two games, shed blocks and had 11 tackles. The Ravens might have introduced their new shutdown cornerback in rookie Nate Wiggins, who did a decent job on one of the best receivers in the league in CeeDee Lamb, who finished with four catches for 67 yards. But the Ravens couldn’t contain Prescott in the fourth quarter. The three-time Pro Bowl selection was 12 of 20 for 140 yards in the first half but finished 28 of 51 for 379 yards. He started picking the Ravens apart throwing underneath and over the top of coverages. It was fortunate for Baltimore that Prescott ran out of time. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | What Tom Brady said about the Ravens, including his nickname for Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 28-25 win over Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens ride Derrick Henry to huge lead, hang on to beat Cowboys, 28-25, for first win Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 “We want to get those stops. We definitely want to get those stops,” Harbaugh said of the Ravens’ poor defensive play over the past two weeks. The poor coverage in the secondary was the biggest concern. Even though the Cowboys came into the game with one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, the Ravens pounded them with running back Derrick Henry, who had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Henry turned star quarterback Lamar Jackson into a game manager, as Jackson rushed 14 times for 87 yards but completed only 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards. That’s the ideal situation for the Ravens, as Jackson still had completions of 56 and 30 yards but didn’t have to find targets and deliver great throws inside the red zone. Overall, the Ravens were happy to just get out of Dallas with a win. If they had lost, they would have been 0-3 with games against Buffalo and Cincinnati coming up within the next two weeks. It would have been a huge hole to dig out. But at least they got a win Sunday. Now, they have to fix the problems in the secondary. They’ve been exposed for three weeks. Dallas rallied and almost pulled the upset Sunday. It’s so glaring that no one was talking about the often-maligned offensive line, which seemed to earn a one-week reprieve. The focus is on the secondary. View the full article

Tom Brady is back. You might have heard? The seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback is now an analyst for Fox Sports, providing color commentary during “America’s Game of the Week” broadcasts on Sunday afternoons alongside play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt. Sunday’s matchup between the Ravens and Dallas Cowboys was Brady’s third game in the booth after an up-and-down start to his new career. For fans who might have missed the game or just want to hear more from the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star, here’s a sample of what he had to say about Baltimore and quarterback Lamar Jackson during the Ravens’ thrilling 28-25 win in Arlington, Texas: On the Ravens’ reputation Before the game: “One thing they are, they’re still very physical. That will never change. That’s the hallmark of this organization. They need to tighten a few things up in their coverage schemes, get on the pass catchers a little bit tighter and challenge some of Dallas’ efficiency in the pass game.” During the game: “You don’t think Ray Lewis and Ed Reed and Terrell Suggs are watching all these games? When you show up to that practice facility, there’s an aura. There’s an aura about this organization. You know they’re tough. You don’t have to worry about that with this club.” After the game: “This game to me was all about Baltimore’s toughness. They’re a tough organization, they have a tough head coach, they have battle-tested guys. You’ve got to bring it for four quarters to beat a team like that.” On Lamar Jackson “I love Lamar. I’ve loved everything he’s done since he’s come into the league. He’s so productive. What I think he needs to do is continue to spread the wealth. He’s got a lot of other playmakers out there at all the skill positions. [Derrick] Henry’s a good back next to him, good tight ends, good receivers. Let’s get everyone involved. See everyone get some production, make it easier on Lamar.” “He’s most dangerous and most efficient outside the pocket. If [the Cowboys] can keep him in the pocket, he’s still good, but just less dangerous there.” On his nickname for Jackson “He’s like superhuman. I call him ‘The Eraser.’ He just erases things that come up when you see bad football. That [broken play] would be a negative play for almost every other quarterback and he turns it into another rushing first down. It’s awesome.” On Jackson facing the blitz “Some of the things that have challenged the Ravens in critical situations, for example, is when the defense sends a lot of pressure. Kansas City did that last year in the AFC championship game. They did it early in the season this year. They said, ‘OK, Lamar, when you see this max blitz — and you’re the MVP of the league, and you’re phenomenal, but these are areas where we need you to improve a little bit. Now you’re gonna have more command at the line of scrimmage to make some protection checks and then cut the blitz. And that’s where I really see his evolution going to the next level.” Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady raved about Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during Sunday’s TV broadcast on Fox. (Julio Cortez/AP) On the Ravens’ talent on offense “It’s so hard to be aggressive on defense when you don’t know what you’re defending. Are you defending the run or are you defending the pass? Are you defending the scramble, are you defending Henry, Jackson, [Justice] Hill has made plays. [Isaiah] Likely, [Zay] Flowers, they’re throwing some slip screens out there. There’s a lot of weapons.” On the Ravens’ offensive line “Keep [running] left over [left tackle Ronnie] Stanley. There’s a little bit more continuity over there. The right side of the line is where they’ve struggled. Now of course they struggled against Chris Jones in the opening week, Maxx Crosby in the second week. So much of this game, when you’re 0-2 you’re thinking, ‘We’ve got go behind our best guys.'” On Derrick Henry “He is normally a downhill back, and so many of the offenses that he’s been around focus on his skill set. He comes to an offense that’s really focused on Lamar’s skill set. But he’s looked pretty good thus far.” “In my view, toughness in the NFL is can you run the ball and can you stop the run. I think that permeates the entire locker room. This week for the Ravens, what you’re seeing with Derrick Henry, it’s just all these body blows downhill. The offensive line is resetting the line of scrimmage into Dallas’ defense.” On safety Kyle Hamilton “Another guy I’ve loved studying film this week of is Kyle Hamilton. I played against him [when he was a] rookie. How he’s emerged in this defense … when they get him down near the line of scrimmage, he’s got that elite burst. He’s such a presence down there. Yeah, he’s listed as a safety, but get him close to the line of scrimmage and he makes plays. That’s very rare to find.” Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston: Ravens need to find answers after looking lost in coverage vs. Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s report card: Position-by-position grades for Ravens’ 28-25 win over Cowboys | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens ride Derrick Henry to huge lead, hang on to beat Cowboys, 28-25, for first win Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 On the Ravens’ defense “There’s nothing more you love as a quarterback than easy soft zone throws. Keeps you in rhythm all day. The defenses that challenge you every single pass play, you don’t love playing against those every single weekend.” “It’s such a prideful defense. You see being 0-2. … They take it to heart. They don’t want to be last in anything in Baltimore. Certainly not in physicality.” On Dallas’ comeback attempt and the Ravens’ win “When you’re in that moment, you just think, ‘How do I chip away, how do I chip away?’ And [the Cowboys] actually came alive on offense. One thing about this game, we said how can they find production outside of CeeDee Lamb, and a lot of guys from Dallas stepped up. It was just too much Baltimore offense. Derrick Henry went off, and Lamar did what he does. When those guys are doing their thing, man, it’s hard for any defense to slow down. There was a lot of defensive frustration for the Cowboys, and that’s kind of expected with the way Baltimore’s offense played today.” View the full article

ARLINGTON, Texas — Here’s how the Ravens (1-2) graded out at every position after beating the Dallas Cowboys, 28-25, in Week 3 on Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Quarterback The Ravens turned quarterback Lamar Jackson into a game manager for most of the contest, and that was perfect for this situation. Jackson didn’t have to thread any passes inside the red zone or make any back-shoulder throws down the sideline. He did what he does well, and that’s run the ball to the outside on option plays or make play-action passes. Jackson rushed 14 times for 87 yards and completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown. It was a near-perfect storm for the Ravens. Grade: B Running backs The Ravens took advantage of Dallas’ weak run defense and pounded away with Derrick Henry both inside and outside. It was Henry’s best game of the season as the former Titans star rushed 25 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns, including one of 26 yards. The Ravens even used Henry on a screen pass for a 23-yard gain in the first half. Backup Justice Hill also rushed five times for 33 yards and did some damage out of the backfield as a receiver with two catches for 21 yards. Grade: A Offensive line This group has been much maligned for the first two games, and deservedly so. Coach John Harbaugh hinted that there might be some changes Sunday, but he stayed with the same lineup. The Ravens were aggressive at the point of attack and pretty much did whatever they wanted to against Dallas’ defense. Tackles Patrick Mekari and Ronnie Stanley did a good job of hooking the Cowboys and allowing Henry and Jackson to get outside, and guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele and center Tyler Linderbaum pushed Dallas around inside on combination blocks. The pass blocking was good because the Ravens controlled the tempo with the rushing attack. The Ravens had 456 yards of total offense. Grade: B+ Receivers The Ravens only used their pass catchers as complementary weapons. They got a good game in the slot from Zay Flowers, who had three receptions for 20 yards and came up with a big catch on third down late in the game to help seal the win. Tight end Charlie Kolar came up with big catch of 30 yards early in the game and receiver Nelson Agholor’s 56-yard reception on a short hitch led to the Ravens’ second touchdown. Grade: C Defensive line Dallas came into the game with a very unproductive running game and finished with just 51 yards on 16 carries. The Ravens controlled the line of scrimmage with Nnamdi Madubuike, Michael Pierce and Travis Jones. That trio didn’t always get pressure on Prescott, but they made him move in the pocket, which is an asset against a quarterback who can’t scramble like Jackson. They forced Dallas to abandon the running game early in the second half. Grade: B Linebackers Maybe this game might quiet some of the questions about the Ravens’ lack of a pass rush. For the third straight week, the Ravens got pressure on the quarterback with outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy finished with two sacks and two pressures, and while Oweh didn’t have a sack, he played well holding the edge. Middle linebacker Roquan Smith had his best game of the season and finished with 11 tackles. In the previous two games, Smith looked slow and couldn’t get off blocks. Weak-side linebacker Trenton Simpson had four tackles, and the Ravens might need to get him into the lineup more than sharing the position with Malik Harrison, who is stronger in run defense. Grade B+ Secondary The Cowboys had 379 passing yards, but the Ravens were more content playing zone and not giving up the long ball, especially in the second half. Rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins had trouble with Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb (four catches for 67 yards), but that was expected and he’ll learn from the experience. Safety Kyle Hamilton played his best game of the season and tackled better (12 tackles), but he also missed some key tackles late in the game. The Ravens played cornerback Marlon Humphrey on the outside and he played reasonably well against receiver Brandin Cooks, but there were times when the Ravens looked confused on the back end again. The Ravens still need to improve here to have a shot at going deep into the postseason. At times, they look lost, especially the linebackers and the secondary in the fourth quarter. Grade: C- Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens ride Derrick Henry to huge lead, hang on to beat Cowboys, 28-25, for first win Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 Baltimore Ravens | Armstrong Williams: Ravens-Cowboys energy is electric in Dallas Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Cowboys, September 22, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Cowboys live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 28-25 win Special teams Kicker Justin Tucker missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, which will open up discussions again about whether Father Time has caught up with him again. The Ravens also failed to recover an onside kick in the fourth quarter, even though the other team is obligated to tell them it’s coming. Jordan Stout averaged 42.8 yards on four punts and pinned three inside the 20, while the Ravens averaged a respectable 14.5 yards on two punt returns. Overall, this is another area where the team needs improvement. Grade: C Coaching Since the Ravens had a 21-6 lead at the half, they didn’t blow any timeouts or make any silly changes early in the game. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken stayed conservative with his game plan, and that was sufficient enough to secure the win. Defensively, coordinator Zach Orr seemed to revert back to last year’s game plan of calling multiple blitzes and playing Hamilton near the line of scrimmage early in the game. But in the final quarter, the Ravens had problems in coverage and allowed the Cowboys to get back into the game. Overall, it was the best called game for Baltimore this season. Even though the situation got a little dicey at the end, they handled their business and got their first win of the season. This team, though, is still shaky. Grade: C+ View the full article

ARLINGTON, Texas — The last time Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was at AT&T Stadium, it was draft night in 2018, and he promised he would deliver Baltimore a Super Bowl trophy. Sunday, Jackson and a gashing ground game helped keep that promise alive for this season. Jackson rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown and completed 12 of 15 passes for 182 yards and another score, while running back Derrick Henry had 151 yards on 25 carries and two touchdowns to lead the Ravens to their first win of the season, a 28-25 nail-biter over the Cowboys. The victory moves the Ravens to 1-2 and kept them from their first 0-3 start since 2015. It also helps make their road to the postseason perhaps less daunting. Since 2002, 103 teams have started 0-3 and only one — the 2018 Houston Texans — went on to make the playoffs. Just as notable, however, was how Baltimore bullied Dallas from the start — and also how the Cowboys turned the tables in the fourth quarter by scoring three straight touchdowns to turn a 22-point deficit into a three-point game. Perhaps no drive typified the Ravens’ early dominance than an eight-play, 88-yard march in the final three minutes of the first half to put the Cowboys in a hole from which they could not ultimately recover. With 3:07 left in the second quarter and the ball on Baltimore’s 12-yard line, Henry followed a 12-yard gain with a 13-yard jaunt around the left side in which he carried Dallas’ star outside linebacker Micah Parsons for about a half-dozen yards before finally going down. With the Ravens running at will, that helped set up short passes to running back Justice Hill and then Henry for 13 and 23 more yards before Jackson eventually found a wide-open Rashod Bateman in the middle of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown. It was the enigmatic receiver’s first score of the year — and just the fifth of his four-year career — and gave Baltimore a commanding 21-3 lead. And even when things went wrong for the Ravens, they ended up all right. With 25 seconds left in the half, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott connected with receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 30-yard completion against rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins to Baltimore’s 33-yard line. On the next play, Wiggins tackled Lamb on a lob into the end zone and was penalized for pass interference. But Cowboys rookie tackle Tyler Guyton was flagged for holding on the play, and the Cowboys had to settle for a 51-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, who also connected on a 65-yarder earlier in the game — 1 yard shy of Justin Tucker’s NFL record. Dallas trailed 21-6 at the half, an all-too-familiar sight for the home crowd. In the first half of its past four home games, the Cowboys have been outscored by 54 points. After the Ravens racked up 272 total yards in the opening 30 minutes — including 111 rushing — they continued to pound Dallas, running the ball five straight times for 70 yards and a touchdown on the opening series of the third quarter. Henry did most of the damage, ripping off a 29-yard gain and then scoring from 26 yards out to make it 28-6. A week after the Cowboys surrendered 190 rushing yards in an embarrassing 44-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints, they were torched for 191 by early in the third quarter as the Ravens finished with 274 yards on the ground. Baltimore’s defense, meanwhile, was equally dominant — through three quarters, at least. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Instant analysis from Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 Baltimore Ravens | Armstrong Williams: Ravens-Cowboys energy is electric in Dallas Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Cowboys, September 22, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Cowboys live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 28-25 win Baltimore Ravens | Armstrong Williams: No matter who you root for, football is about having fun | STAFF COMMENTARY The Cowboys were held to 169 yards in the first half, including just 32 rushing, but finished with 412 after a dominant fourth quarter in which they reached the end zone three times in six minutes and racked up 211 yards. Prescott, who was sacked twice and pressured through much of the first half, finished 28 of 51 passing for 379 yards and two touchdowns, while Lamb had only four catches for 67 yards. Baltimore had allowed an opposing receiver to record more than 100 yards in each of the first two games and entered Sunday ranked 31st in the league in passing defense, having allowed 11 plays of 20 or more yards. That reared its head in an ugly fourth quarter. The Ravens’ much-maligned offensive line — which didn’t have any changes to the starting lineup despite coach John Harbaugh hinting at it on Friday — also held its own, and then some. In addition to clearing the way for a punishing ground assault, they kept Parsons at bay most of the afternoon as the two-time All-Pro had just five tackles, one quarterback hit and no sacks. The rest of the Cowboys were also held without a sack. This article will be updated. Week 4 Bills at Ravens Sunday, 8:20 p.m. TV: NBC Radio: 97.9 FM, 101.5 FM, 1090 AM Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scores a rushing touchdown in the first quarter Sunday against the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. (Julio Cortez/AP) View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday’s Week 3 game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Brian Wacker, reporter: After the Saints gashed the Cowboys for 190 rushing yards in a 44-13 blowout of Dallas last week, the game plan was obvious. The Ravens wisely attacked the Cowboys where they are most vulnerable, and that helped open up the passing game for Lamar Jackson, who was efficient, accurate and in control. Another part of the story was Baltimore’s much-maligned offensive line, which cleared holes for Derrick Henry and kept All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons and the rest of the defense mostly at bay. The Ravens broke the game open with an eight-play 80-yard drive late in the first half, but inexplicably still needed to hang on down the stretch after failing to recover an onside kick, committing a series of penalties and allowing the Cowboys to make it close in the end. Childs Walker, reporter: The Ravens scared their fans (and perhaps themselves) to death, nearly blowing a 22-point fourth-quarter lead with ill-timed penalties, coverage mistakes and another missed field goal by Justin Tucker. Lamar Jackson ultimately put it away with a clutch throw to Zay Flowers and a final 10-yard run to kill the clock. Facing oblivion, they needed him to be the MVP, and he was. The Ravens could not start 0-3 and expect to reach their grand goals for the season. They knew it and answered the bell with their best all-around effort of the season for three quarters. This time, they came out of halftime with a 15-point lead and did not mess around, running the ball down the Cowboys’ throats with Derrick Henry and Jackson. Fans wanted an identity from this offense and got it against a Dallas defense that was already reeling coming off a blowout loss to the Saints. After a week of questions about their offensive line, coaches stuck with Patrick Mekari and Daniel Faalele on the right side and made it work with sheer power. The Ravens couldn’t have started much better, stifling the Cowboys’ first drive with pressure and tight coverage, then cruising 71 yards on five plays to go up 7-0. Dallas didn’t seem to have any idea what was coming. The Ravens knew they had a major advantage on the ground and pressed it, feeding Henry even after he was bottled up early. They outrushed the Cowboys 111 yards to 32 in the first half. On defense, rookie Nate Wiggins wiped out Dallas’ best drive with a forced fumble in the red zone, and Kyle Hamilton was back to All-Pro form with a series of highlight hits around the line of scrimmage. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens needed a win badly to avoid an 0-3 start, and they pounded the Cowboys, but there are still many questions about the defense. Even though Dallas proved it wasn’t a serious contender, it scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to force the Ravens to hang on. Baltimore pounded Dallas with running back Derrick Henry, and the defense was sound for most of the game, but there was a lot of confusion in the secondary late in the third quarter that carried over into the fourth. At least the Ravens finished Dallas off late in the game, something it couldn’t do offensively in the season opener against Kansas City and then defensively in Week 2 against Las Vegas. This type of win builds confidence, which the Ravens needed badly going into next Sunday night’s home game against Buffalo, but there is some concern about the defense and first-year coordinator Zach Orr. The Ravens can’t play like this and expect to go deep into the playoffs. Offensively, they had some consistency. On the other side of the ball, more questions arose, especially in the second half. C.J. Doon, editor: This is the Ravens team we expected to see (at least in the first three quarters). Lamar Jackson was nearly flawless, Derrick Henry looked unstoppable and the defense clamped down on what has been one of the league’s most efficient passing attacks in recent years. Cowboys star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb got the better of rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins on a few deep passes, but otherwise the Ravens’ secondary looked much improved after a poor start to the season. Wiggins even made a huge play by forcing a fumble when the Cowboys had a chance to score and potentially cut Baltimore’s lead to 14-10 in the first quarter. With a few minutes left before the start of the fourth quarter, quarterback Dak Prescott was just 13-for-23 for 149 yards. Fox analyst Tom Brady pointed to Baltimore’s aggressive man-to-man approach as a reason for that success, and it helps to have safety Kyle Hamilton looking closer to his All-Pro form after he said he was “behind the 8 ball” with injuries coming into the season. So, yeah. That fourth quarter. What do we make of it? The Ravens continue to struggle with missed tackles, penalties and blown coverages. Just when you thought they would wrap up an easy win with a punishing ground game, they needed Jackson to bail them out with a clutch throw to Zay Flowers on third-and-6 with 2:16 left. Then he made more magic happen with his legs to pick up the game-sealing first down after the two-minute warning. The two-time MVP can carry the team, but he shouldn’t have to every single week. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens ride Derrick Henry to huge lead, hang on to beat Cowboys, 28-25, for first win Baltimore Ravens | Armstrong Williams: Ravens-Cowboys energy is electric in Dallas Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Cowboys, September 22, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Cowboys live updates: Postgame reaction and analysis from Baltimore’s 28-25 win Baltimore Ravens | Armstrong Williams: No matter who you root for, football is about having fun | STAFF COMMENTARY Tim Schwartz, editor: You could hear the Ravens’ collective sigh of relief from 1,300 miles away as they picked up win No. 1 of the season. It’s safe to say that the Ravens are going to be OK and win plenty of games this fall, as long as they learn that this should be their recipe for success (outside of that fourth quarter, of course). Lamar Jackson should not be throwing the ball 40 times per game. He and Derrick Henry should be dominating the running game and helping this young offensive line get into a groove and gain confidence. You knew it was going to be a good day when Rashod Bateman scored and Nelson Agholor broke free for a long gain, but the Ravens still found a way to let the Cowboys back in it and make it interesting in the fourth quarter. A win next Sunday night against the Bills, and fans can rebook the Super Bowl tickets they canceled after last weekend’s loss to the Raiders. Bennett Conlin, editor: That was easy. Well, until the end. Another bizarre fourth-quarter lapse diminished the fact that Baltimore mostly bullied Dallas. The Ravens handled business for three quarters like a top NFL team should against a porous defense. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken called a stellar game, creatively using Jackson and Henry to confound Dallas’ crummy defense. Jackson looked the part of a two-time MVP, and perhaps most encouragingly, he connected with receiving options other than just Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Isaiah Likely. Henry easily eclipsed 100 rushing yards, showcasing why he’s one of the league’s most ferocious runners. The win is a step in the right direction for Baltimore after an 0-2 start. It avoided opening with a disastrous 0-3 record. The Ravens needed this result with the Steelers starting a perfect 3-0 to lead the division, but the fourth-quarter woes are a significant ongoing concern. Why — and how — was this game in doubt in the final moments? View the full article

The energy at AT&T Stadium in Dallas is reaching new heights as two of the NFL’s most iconic teams face off, the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens. The Cowboys, known as “America’s Team,” carry a legacy of excellence and tradition, from the leadership of Roger Staubach in the 1970s to the dynamic trio of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin in the ‘90s, to today’s team led by quarterback Dak Prescott and standout players like Ezekiel Elliott and CeeDee Lamb. On the other side, we have the Ravens, a team built on toughness and grit. The Ravens have made themselves a force to be reckoned with under the leadership of their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson. As fans began to pour into the stadium, the excitement was building. Two enthusiastic women from Baltimore shared their confidence in the Ravens, saying, “The Ravens all the way, baby!” When asked why, their answer was simple: “Because we are it.” A couple visiting Dallas for the first time explained how they joined a group of Ravens fans who traveled together. “We’re here to see the Ravens,” they said. “We went to a party yesterday with a lot of Ravens fans cheering on the team.” Baltimore’s support is strong, even all the way in Dallas. With both teams backed by passionate fans, the stage is set for an unforgettable showdown. Armstrong Williams (www.armstrongwilliams.com; @arightside) is a political analyst, syndicated columnist and owner of the broadcasting company, Howard Stirk Holdings. He is also part owner of The Baltimore Sun. View the full article

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor (15) gains yards after catching a pass as Dallas Cowboys’ Malik Hooker (28) and DeMarvion Overshown (13) give chase in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) lands on Charlie Kolar (88) and Dallas Cowboys’ Damone Clark (18) as he reaches the end zone for a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker (9) kicks an extra point as Dallas Cowboys’ C.J. Goodwin (29) and Jalen Brooks (83) look on in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry runs the ball for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter) The Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens line up against each other in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Dallas Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey (17) and the rest of the line watch Aubrey’s 65-yard field goal go through the uprights in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) celebrates with David Ojabo (90) after sacking Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy, left, sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Baltimore Ravens’ Patrick Mekari (65) and Justin Tucker (9) celebrate Tucker’s extra point kick against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens’ Isaiah Likely, left and Lamar Jackson, right, celebrate after Jackson scored a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys on a running play in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, rear, is hit by Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce (58) as Prescott attempts to throw a pass in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball for a touchdown as Dallas Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs (7) looks on in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson sprints to the end zone to score a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson scores a touchdown on a running play against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson) Baltimore Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy (53) and Dallas Cowboys’ Terence Steele (78) compete in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey (44), Eddie Jackson (39) and Marcus Williams, right, celebrate a stop against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens’ Kyle Hamilton reacts to play against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens’ Odafe Oweh (99) and Dallas Cowboys’ Tyler Guyton (60) face off in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy reacts to play against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 22: Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens runs against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 22: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys fumbles the ball against Nate Wiggins #2 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 22: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys is hit by Odafe Oweh #99 of the Baltimore Ravens and Michael Pierce #58 of the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 22: Patrick Ricard #42 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after a team touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 22: Marcus Williams #32 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates a fumble recovery against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) ARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 22: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys fumbles the ball against Nate Wiggins #2 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) View the full article

The Ravens play the host Dallas Cowboys (1-1) on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, looking to avoid an 0-3 start. Follow along here for live coverage. View the full article

As I passed through security at Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, D.C., on my way to the Cowboys vs. Ravens game in Dallas, Texas, I met a lively family of three men — a mixed bag of Cowboys and Ravens fans. But even though their teams would be going head to head, it was all smiles, laughter and playful banter. You could tell they were experts at having fun, even though one side was wearing purple and black and the other side silver and blue. “Will the Ravens pull this out?” I asked one of the Ravens fans. “Oh, no doubt,” he said with a smile. This weekend in Dallas is expected to be a showdown of epic proportions. One that personally will challenge my own loyalties, but that otherwise will be a great time. If this family is any indication, this game will be less about rivalry and more about the thrill and joy of coming together to watch the game. Whether the Ravens win or the Cowboys ride to victory, there is just one thing that is certain — there will be plenty of smiles, many friendly jabs and overall a reminder that in the end, win or lose, football, like all sports, is all just good fun. Be on the lookout for more videos from Armstrong’s trip to Dallas. View the full article

Two weeks into the NFL season is hardly the time to hit the panic button, but the Ravens’ 0-2 start has rightfully stirred reason for concern. Baltimore hasn’t lost three straight games to open the year since 2015, and now comes a trip to AT&T Stadium to face the Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas, meanwhile, is coming off an embarrassing loss of its own, a 44-19 thrashing at home to the New Orleans Saints. In other words, something has to give between teams with high postseason aspirations in a game that will ultimately be viewed as stanching the bleeding for one and more alarm bells ringing for the other. It will also mark the first time that quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott have faced off and is Baltimore’s first trip to AT&T Stadium since 2016, which the Cowboys won, 27-17. The Ravens, meanwhile, won the most recent showdown, 34-17, in 2020 at an empty M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore Sun reporters Brian Wacker, Childs Walker and Sam Cohn answer questions about the Ravens’ offensive line, what has plagued the team the most so far and their upcoming schedule with a tough slate of games ahead. Will the Ravens make the playoffs? Wacker: It’s too early to write the Ravens’ playoff chances off, despite what history says about teams that start 0-2. Also, except 2021, when Lamar Jackson missed the final four games of the season because of an injury, Baltimore has made the postseason every year of the quarterback’s career and that’s not changing this year. There are some cracks in the foundation, but not yet enough to bring the house down. The Ravens have too much talent on the roster to not cover them up. It also helps that after the top four or five teams in the AFC, there is a significant drop-off, so nabbing one of those final two or three playoff spots even with a rough start is likely. Walker: Yes. An 0-2 record is no joke to be shrugged off. The Ravens had started this poorly just once in John Harbaugh’s previous 16 seasons, and they finished 5-11 that year. But most teams that open with two losses are bad, and it’s too early to call the Ravens that. They still have Jackson, who’s won 73% of his regular-season starts. They still have Pro Bowl talent all over their defense. They were the best team in football nine months ago. It’s premature to say none of that matters based on a pair of one-score losses. The answer might be different if they lose this weekend at Dallas. At some point, the numbers stack up against you. But for now, this feels like the rare team qualified to dig itself out of an 0-2 hole. Cohn: Are you sick of hearing that one statistic? The one that puts the Ravens in a deeply unfavorable category to answer this question? Since the NFL switched to a 17-game schedule, 21 teams have started 0-2 and 19 of them missed the playoffs. Cincinnati in 2022 and Houston in 2023 — the two outliers — had easier paths bouncing back than the Ravens do. But there’s too much talent in Baltimore to write them off in September, still fairly healthy. As of today, yes, the Ravens make the playoffs behind the reigning Most Valuable Player and a high-upside pass rush. If they get swept by the Cowboys, Bills and Bengals, let us revisit this question. What change, if any, would you make to the Ravens’ offensive line? Wacker: The Ravens bet on youth and numbers when it came to filling three starting jobs on the offensive line and it hasn’t panned out, so they need to be nimble. Trading for a capable guard would be ideal, but good luck finding any team willing to deal one anytime soon. That leaves the next best option of being less stubborn on trying Ben Cleveland, who at least in games last season handled himself without any glaring struggles. He also has far more experience than Daniel Faalele, who in addition to being too big and slow for the role is playing the position for the first time. The other change that should happen is giving rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten the bulk of the snaps at right tackle. He’s mobile, has shown improvement from Week 1 to Week 2 and doing so would allow Patrick Mekari to return to his valuable role as a versatile plug-and-play contributor who can be deployed as needed anywhere across the line. Baltimore’s offensive line, outside of left tackle Ronnie Stanley, has largely struggled through the first two weeks of the 2024 season. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Walker: The Ravens can stick by their youth movement without stubbornly tossing their season away. They should try a rotation at right guard, just as they have at right tackle. Coaches might not love the way Cleveland practices, but if he outperforms Faalele in game situations, that should be a path toward him taking the job. At least see if Cleveland’s decent work from past seasons carries over to a more regular role because it’s not clear Faalele will ever move well enough to be above average at the position. The Ravens should also shift more right tackle snaps to Rosengarten after he held his own against the Raiders’ Pro Bowl edge rusher, Maxx Crosby. Mekari’s versatility and professionalism are valuable, but Rosengarten’s mobility gives him more upside against the likes of Crosby. Keep the rotation; just lean it toward preparing the rookie to start later in the season. Cohn: It’s hard not to think the Ravens’ offensive line could use a retooling of some sort as their unit ranks 25th out of 32 teams, according to Pro Football Focus. Subbing out Faalele seems to be picking up steam after the first-time starter repeatedly had his feet in dried cement in consecutive games. But Harbaugh wouldn’t entertain the notion of swapping in Cleveland, sharply saying, “If Ben had earned the job at right guard, he’d be the starting right guard. [When] you look at the tape, he didn’t beat out Daniel or anybody.” If that’s Harbaugh denying the possibility, the other option would be to promote Mekari, who’s currently rotating at right tackle with Rosengarten, a second-round pick. Let Rosengarten handle right tackle and slide Mekari to right guard. Offensive lines can take time to mesh and this is an inexperienced group, but the 0-2 Ravens don’t seem in position to stand pat for a group that’s hindering their winless offense. What’s the Ravens’ biggest problem? Wacker: There are two: the defense and a lack of an offensive identity. Both could eventually sort themselves out, but the sooner the better with a daunting schedule the next three weeks. After leading the league in sacks, takeaways and points allowed per game last season, there was going to be a drop-off with the departures of not just outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, but several coaches, including former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald and defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson. When Wilson was with the Eagles, he helped coach them to the top pass defense in the NFL in 2022. After he was fired, Philadelphia took a major step back in that area in 2023. As for the offense, Harbaugh acknowledged the conundrum of keeping opponents off balance and establishing a reliable identity, which the Ravens have yet to do. That puts them in a tough spot when it comes to tight games and challenging opponents. The Ravens go as Jackson goes, of course, but Baltimore doesn’t seem to have quite figured out how it will use running back Derrick Henry, operate with tight ends Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely on the field at the same time or find consistent ways to utilize its wide receivers. Walker: The defense was elite last season, allowing the fewest points while generating the most sacks and turnovers. That held up even in the Ravens’ AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs. They haven’t been nearly as good through the first two games of this season, and it starts with their three best defensive players: Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton and Nnamdi Madubuike. The Ravens signed Smith and Madubuike to huge extensions expecting them to be close to the best at their positions. Hamilton could be a long-term face of the franchise given his intelligence and playmaking from all points of the field. None of them have been great so far. Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton spoke with the media following practice in Owings Mills, Maryland. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Others have played well, from edge rushers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy to defensive tackle Travis Jones. They have smothered the run. But as Harbaugh said Monday, they’ve been inconsistent, especially with games hanging in the balance in the fourth quarter. This isn’t a vote of no-confidence in first-year coordinator Zach Orr, who is smart, charismatic and learned everything Macdonald had to teach. But the Ravens’ defense went from a cornerstone at the end of last season to a work in progress. Cohn: There are a handful of fair answers to this one. Offensive identity seems to be the most pertinent. It’s unclear exactly what theirs is, compared with the 11 regular-season games of 25-plus points from 2023. Baltimore trotted out 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) on 40 plays against the Chiefs, then only 19 times against the Raiders, per PFF, meaning Monken got away from keeping Andrews and Likely on the field at the same time. Their play-action numbers dipped, which Harbaugh brushed off by saying he’s still a “big proponent” and it’s “something we do really well.” And it’s not clear exactly how much they’ll rely on their $16 million running back, Henry. Now, Harbaugh has said offensive identity is something you develop over the course of a season. Andrews pegged their mid-October game in London when they ironed out last year’s. The veteran coach wants this group to offer something new each week. It just hasn’t worked thus far. What’s most to blame for the Ravens’ 0-2 start, and what would be a success with the Cowboys, Bills and Bengals upcoming? Wacker: Penalties and mismanagement. The Ravens have the third-most in the NFL with 18 and some of them have come at the worst possible time, such as Henry’s fourth-quarter false start against the Raiders that wiped out a first down. If that doesn’t happen, Baltimore chews up more clock and the Raiders probably never have the chance to tie the game and eventually win it. Less notable but not insignificant, clock and time management along with questionable challenges and substitution and communication issues have also been a problem. The Ravens have committed an alarming 18 penalties through the first two weeks of the season. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Success going forward would be, as Jackson said this week, going 1-0 and beating a Cowboys team that has a vulnerable defense, especially against the run. Then winning at least one of its next two games, which would put the Ravens at 2-3 with winnable match-ups against the Commanders, Buccaneers, Browns and Broncos to follow. Walker: As players and coaches have said repeatedly, they’re their own worst enemy in all phases. Whether that’s a blown coverage, a missed block, a shanked punt or an ill-timed penalty. Jackson on Wednesday acknowledged he’s missed passes that could have turned games. “At the end of the day, we’re beating ourselves,” he said. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton optimistic after he ‘fell behind the 8 ball’ with injuries Baltimore Ravens | Ravens offensive line could look different vs. Cowboys: ‘It’s still a competition’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill signs 2-year contract extension: ‘No place I would rather be’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense needs more production from its trio of stars | ANALYSIS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 3 betting guide: Baltimore poised for bounce-back win If the Ravens win two of their next three, they’ll feel better going into an easier portion of their schedule. This opening stretch was always going to be rough. That’s why a tidy win over the Raiders felt so necessary. Instead, their game in Dallas feels like an early must-win, not ideal against an opponent that dominated on its home field until the playoffs last season. A prime-time home game against Buffalo and Josh Allen feels like a 50-50 proposition, despite the Bills’ injuries and loss of skill players. The Bengals also started 0-2 and will be fighting to dig out when the Ravens travel to Cincinnati in Week 5. But none of these teams is clearly better than the Ravens. Going into the season, a 2-1 record over this stretch seemed reasonable. It’s just more essential now that they’ve lost to the Raiders. Cohn: Harbaugh spoke for 23 minutes during his regularly scheduled Monday news conference. In that time, he said some variation of the word “consistent” — consistencies, inconsistent — 20 times. So it’s clear where he feels his team has gone astray through two weeks. The secondary is on track, he said, but they’re not consistently producing. Fourth-quarter implosions? Harbaugh credited late-game inconsistency. And the offensive line is “almost randomly inconsistent.” “When we become a consistent football team, then we’ll be a winning football team,” Harbaugh said. “Until then, it’s gonna be hard to do that.” View the full article

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said he’s “feeling good” after a back injury sidelined him earlier this week. It’s the kind of minor, nagging pain that comes around each year. “Everybody deals with stuff throughout the season, mine just started a little early this year,” said Hamilton, now in his third season. “It’s been kind of annoying a little bit, even starting in the spring with the elbow. I kind of fell behind the 8 ball a little bit.” The 2023 All-Pro selection arrived at camp recovering from elbow surgery to pluck out loose bodies. Then, he missed Wednesday’s practice when his back flared up after Sunday’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Hamilton was limited in his return Thursday but a full participant Friday. The 2022 first-round draft pick has nine tackles through two games but is still searching for his first sack and first takeaway of the season and has not graded nearly as well as last year. There have been “extra meetings” this week, he said, for the Ravens to correct their two weeks of defensive missteps. The next chance comes Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, as Baltimore looks to avoid an 0-3 start. “I don’t think it’s time to pull the fire alarm yet,” Hamilton said. “I think we have a chance to go silence a lot of people on Sunday. I’m hoping we can do that.” The Ravens had their most crowded injury report of the season earlier this week, but it’s since leveled out. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) and outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (eye/groin) were both back to full participation by Thursday. Outside linebacker David Ojabo (quad), wide receiver and return specialist Deonte Harty (calf) and rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins are all listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Ojabo and Harty were both limited Thursday but full participants Friday. Wiggins, who had missed time with a concussion and neck injury after he was involved in a car accident, practiced in a limited capacity Thursday and Friday, wearing a red noncontact jersey while still in the league’s five-step concussion protocol. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens offensive line could look different vs. Cowboys: ‘It’s still a competition’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill signs 2-year contract extension: ‘No place I would rather be’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense needs more production from its trio of stars | ANALYSIS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 3 betting guide: Baltimore poised for bounce-back win Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have struggled against elite pass rushers. Here comes Micah Parsons. “[Wiggins] was full-go in terms of moving around and everything,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I thought he looked great, so it’s up to the doctors and the protocol, etc., and we’ll see how that shakes out.” Backup guard Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, who missed practice this week for personal reasons, is out. Rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, who was a full participant this week as he recovers from a hamstring injury, could make his regular-season debut. As for the Cowboys (1-1), coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Friday that defensive tackle Mazi Smith is “full steam ahead” to play Sunday. Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, was unable to practice for much of this week after his back tightened up. He’s listed as questionable for Sunday, but McCarthy said he took “a big step forward,” which would be a significant return for a struggling interior defensive line. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (ankle), cornerback Trevon Diggs (foot), tight end Jake Ferguson (knee), safety Malik Hooker (shoulder) were all full participants in Friday’s practice. Reserve wide receiver Jalen Brooks (ankle) and tight end John Stephens (hamstring) are questionable. View the full article

Change is coming along the Ravens’ much-maligned offensive line. After the group struggled mightily in a pair of losses the first two weeks of the season, coach John Harbaugh acknowledged Friday that the unit will likely look different for Sunday’s game against the host Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. “I think it’s still a competition,” he said when asked about any possible changes. “It’s still up in the air for certain spots. “You probably will see some different guys in different spots. That’s just part of it.” Though Harbaugh did not get into specifics, one of those changes could involve replacing right guard Daniel Faalele with versatile veteran Patrick Mekari. Mekari, 27, has been Baltimore’s starter at right tackle the first two weeks of the season but has experience playing all five positions up front. Through the first two games, Mekari has shared some snaps with rookie second-round draft pick Roger Rosengarten. But moving him inside would likely be an upgrade over current starting right guard Daniel Faalele. At 6 feet 8 and 380 pounds, Faalele’s size is unusual for the position, which he is also playing for the first time after spending his first two seasons and his entire college career at tackle. It would also allow the Ravens to give the agile Rosengarten, who has played well in limited action, to get more snaps, something that could be a boost against a Cowboys defense led by one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, outside linebacker Micah Parsons. Ravens offensive linemen walk off the field after practice Thursday in Owings Mills. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) Through the first two games, Baltimore’s offensive line allowed 14 quarterback pressures against the Kansas City Chiefs and five against the Las Vegas Raiders. Ravens star Lamar Jackson has been sacked three times, but one of those resulted in a fumble, and Baltimore has struggled to get its running game going as well. Faalele in particular has bore the brunt of the criticism, with a 60.6 Pro Football Focus grade against the Chiefs and a 53.5 mark against the Raiders. He’s ranked 48th of 65 guards by PFF. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens RB Justice Hill signs 2-year contract extension Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ defense needs more production from its trio of stars | ANALYSIS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens Week 3 betting guide: Baltimore poised for bounce-back win Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens have struggled against elite pass rushers. Here comes Micah Parsons. Baltimore Ravens | Ravens CB Nate Wiggins back at practice after car crash; OLB David Ojabo limited Mekari, meanwhile, has played all five spots up front over the course of his five-year career with the Ravens, including 75 snaps at right guard. The former undrafted free agent has played in 73 career games and made 38 starts. “That’s a valuable thing,” Harbaugh said of Mekari’s versatility. “That’s all part of why he’s [been] at right tackle the first two games.” Whether Mekari remains there, however, remains to be seen, though Harbaugh’s blunt and grating assessment of Ben Cleveland earlier in the week indicates that the 2021 third-round pick is likely not an option to replace Faalele, a fourth-round selection in 2022. “We’re definitely a work in progress,” Harbaugh said of the line. “There’s no question about that. “I’m very confident that were gonna be the kind of offensive line that we need to be. We’ve been down this road before in the offensive line … we’ve gotta work at it.” View the full article