ExtremeRavens

John Kelly #33 runs a drill during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Running backs Chris Collier #38 and Derrick Henry #22 during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) From left, running backs John Kelly #33, Chris Collier #38 and Justice Hill #43 during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Tight ends Mark Andrews #89 and Isaiah Likely #80 during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 makes a catch during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 after Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 runs with the ball during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Tight end Mark Andrews #89 during Ravens practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens G/T Daniel Faalele #77 leaves the field after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens ILB Trenton Simpson #23 leaves the field after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens safety Ar’Darius Washington #29 leaves the field after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker leaves the field after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens RB Justice Hill #43 leaves the field after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens Offensive Coordinator, Todd Monken, speaks to the media after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) Ravens Special Teams Coordinator, Chris Horton, speaks to the media after practice. (Amy Davis/Staff) View the full article

The Ravens got some good news with the return of Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum and right tackle Patrick Mekari to practice Thursday in Owings Mills. Linderbaum (knee) was limited while Mekari (knee) was a full participant. But not all the news was good ahead of a showdown against the stout defensive front of the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium. Left guard Andrew Vorhees (ankle) did not practice for a second straight day. If he can’t go Sunday, the Ravens could go with Mekari or perhaps the much-maligned Ben Cleveland against Buffalo and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens lead the NFL in one category nobody wants Baltimore Ravens | Ravens practice, September 26, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins provides details on recent car accident involving Lamborghini Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about blown leads and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bills staff picks: Who will win Sunday night’s showdown in Baltimore? On defense for the Ravens, tackle Michael Pierce (shoulder) returned after not practicing Wednesday, while inside linebacker Roquan Smith (ankle) was a full participant after being limited. For Buffalo, linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) was limited after not practicing Wednesday but has already been ruled out for Sunday by coach Sean McDermott, as has cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm), who did not practice for a second straight day. Cornerback Kaiir Elam (neck) was limited for a second straight practice, while offensive lineman Tylan Grable (groin) was out and has been placed on injured reserve. Quarterback Josh Allen was a full participant for a second day in a row, but remains listed on the injury report after hurting his left hand in Buffalo’s season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals. View the full article

Ravens first-round draft pick Nate Wiggins addressed the media Thursday for the first time since getting in a car accident two weeks ago. The rookie said after practice in Owings Mills that an 18-wheeler “clipped me” and that his car — a Lamborghini — rolled over in the Sept. 11 crash and was “totaled” as a result. Asked what road the crash occurred on, he said he couldn’t remember but did add that he was about “two minutes” away from his apartment. “It was scary,” said Wiggins, a cornerback the Ravens drafted 30th overall out of Clemson in April. “It’s always scary to get in a car accident.” Both Maryland State Police and Baltimore County Police told The Baltimore Sun they had no record of the crash. He is at least the third Ravens player to have gotten into an accident this season. Tight end Mark Andrews and linebacker Josh Ross were also involved in crashes. Following the latest accident, Wiggins, 21, sat out Baltimore’s home-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders with a neck injury and concussion. He returned to practice last week and played in Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens lead the NFL in one category nobody wants Baltimore Ravens | Ravens practice, September 26, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens get 2 starting offensive linemen back at Thursday’s practice Baltimore Ravens | Mike Preston’s Ravens mailbag: Answering questions about blown leads and more | COMMENTARY Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bills staff picks: Who will win Sunday night’s showdown in Baltimore? Wiggins, who made his first start, played 38 snaps, had two tackles and a forced fumble, but was flagged for holding, pass interference and illegal contact. He has also struggled in other ways. Through two games, Wiggins has allowed a quarterback rating of 118.7 while surrendering four catches on five targets for 82 yards. He has four tackles. Still, Wiggins was happy to just be back on the field. “Once I knew I could get back on the field I knew I was 100%,” he said. “Just gotta keep working.” View the full article

Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Preston will answer fans’ questions in the middle of each week throughout the Ravens season. A week after the Ravens (1-2) suffered a demoralizing home defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders, they jumped out to a big lead behind Derrick Henry and held on the beat the Dallas Cowboys in Texas on Sunday for their first win of the season. Here’s Preston’s take on a handful of questions from readers: (Editor’s note: Questions have been edited for length and clarity.) Can you try to explain, in 10,000 words or less, why the Ravens play so poorly in the fourth quarter? This has been a problem for many years, through several offensive coordinators, several defensive coordinators, and one head coach. — Bob in North Carolina It’s a total team effort. Fans like to point at one area. They say it’s coach John Harbaugh or quarterback Lamar Jackson. They say it’s the secondary or the Ravens don’t get a good pass rush. It’s a composite of problems. The goal of any coach is to get his team to the final four minutes of a game, and then the playmakers are supposed to take over. Well, in some ways, Harbaugh has achieved that goal. Even though the Ravens are 1-2, Harbaugh has compiled a 172-109 record and gone 12-10 in the postseason. His decision-making in the final four minutes over the past couple of seasons has been questionable, but the overall body of work has been impressive. Who have been the consistent playmakers on the roster? Go ahead, name them. Give up yet? It’s long been Jackson but he hasn’t been clutch in crucial situations, which is why he has a 2-4 record in the postseason. But it’s not just Jackson and the run-oriented, play-action offense, either. The Harbaughs, including brother Jim now with the Los Angeles Chargers, love to run the ball — which is great, but if the Ravens don’t get a lead or have to come back in the fourth quarter, they struggle. Why? Because they have a lot of top-heavy offensive linemen who can knock players off the ball but struggle in pass protection. That’s been a problem for the past six years. The Ravens can bring in all the new offensive coordinators they want, but the passing game struggles unless Jackson improvises even in throwing the long ball. Defensively, the Ravens became too predictable under former defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale, so they replaced him with Mike Macdonald. He oversaw the NFL’s best defense a year ago but now coaches the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks. What we’re seeing right now with Baltimore is in many ways a team in transition. The Ravens lost their three top defensive coaches from a year ago, and it takes time to replace them. They have a new coordinator in Zach Orr, and that will continue to be an adjustment probably until the midseason. The big problem is that the Ravens’ secondary tires in the fourth quarter and the group has no clue where they are supposed to be. In fact, it has become embarrassing. Regardless, with new additions on offense (especially the line) and defense, it will take time to jell. Some fans have written the Ravens off already at 1-2, but there are 14 teams with 1-2 records including San Francisco, Miami, New England, Indianapolis, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Rams. There is still a lot of football left to play. Here’s my advice to fans: chill. What type of leash do you give Justin Tucker as he experiences the first genuine slump of his career? What will Roger Rosengarten’s role be moving forward after the offensive line had success without him in Dallas? What is going on with Mark Andrews? I know formations are more run-heavy now and he’s been a successful blocker, but he’s pretty much nonexistent in the pass game. — Grant from North East Sorry, Grant, Andrews has not been successful as a blocker. The Ravens’ tight ends don’t always want to block and that can make running the ball hard. Rosengarten will be in the lineup soon enough. Again, the Ravens were only playing the Cowboys. Mekari’s body can’t hold up the entire season, so expect Rosengarten to be in the rotation soon. As far as Tucker, kickers have to play their way out of a slump like hitters in MLB. Once you hit one or two in a row, the confidence comes back. At this point, he has earned the trust of Harbaugh to work out any technique issues. Maybe the leg isn’t as strong as it has been, but he deserves time to work out any kinks. Missing three kicks in three games is unsuual for Justin Tucker, but the Ravens aren’t giving up on their longtime kicker. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Small sample size, but are the Ravens lamenting not re-signing Patrick Queen? His motor and interior presence have been missed. — Max N. Panoff in Miami I don’t think so. Queen had two productive years in Baltimore but didn’t take off until the Ravens traded for inside linebacker Roquan Smith during the 2022 season. But once the Ravens signed Jackson to a long-term megadeal in April 2023, it was always going to be tough for them to keep good players such as Queen, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and safety Geno Stone. All were free agents and were going to make good money in other places. When teams believe they have a franchise-caliber quarterback, it’s a major decision they have to make, and these are the ripple effects. Right now, Queen is third on the Steelers with 14 tackles and he’ll do well with coach Mike Tomlin. He plays every snap and plays faster every game. He has a presence with Pittsburgh. Defensively, the Ravens have been solid with Trent Simpson and Malik Harrison on the outside, but they do miss Queen. Like everything else in the NFL, it was a business decision. Should the Ravens have used the money they gave to Madubuike to fix the O-line? — @jsamaroo6 on X Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | The Ravens lead the NFL in one category nobody wants Baltimore Ravens | Ravens practice, September 26, 2024 | PHOTOS Baltimore Ravens | Ravens get 2 starting offensive linemen back at Thursday’s practice Baltimore Ravens | Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins provides details on recent car accident involving Lamborghini Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bills staff picks: Who will win Sunday night’s showdown in Baltimore? Nope, Madubuike led the Ravens in sacks with 13 last year and has gotten better every year since joining the club as a third-round pick in 2020. He has reshaped his body and several teams were ready to make him big offers if he didn’t re-sign with the Ravens. It was a good, sound business move. Without him, the Ravens would be in big trouble. Don’t always look at the statistics. He has a presence in the locker room and on the field as a leader. Few players have worked as hard as Madubuike. With respect to the very questionable “roughing the passer” call against Odafe Oweh, what actions can the Ravens take? Is the officiating for every game reviewed by the league office during the week? If the call was wrong (which it was in this example), does the league correct the various crews? Are the Ravens notified that the call was correct or incorrect and why? Just curious. — Dan H in Elkton Dan, I think you answered all your questions. It was a terrible call, and all games are reviewed by the league office. The Ravens will be notified of the decision one way or another. Who knows, the league office might see something we didn’t see but the officials blew this one. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 4 game between the Ravens (1-2) and Buffalo Bills (3-0) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Brian Wacker, reporter Bills 23, Ravens 20: The Ravens found their “identity” running the ball all over the Cowboys last week and should have success on the ground against Buffalo, which is allowing 4.7 yards per carry and will be without its top two tacklers, linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) and nickel back Taron Johnson (forearm). Still, defensive tackle Ed Oliver and edge rushers Greg Rousseau and Von Miller figure to be problematic against Baltimore’s leaky front. Buffalo has also allowed the fourth-fewest points (48) in the AFC, has the NFL’s best point differential (plus-64) and quarterback Josh Allen has been, outside of Patrick Mahomes, the best player in the game this season. He will be problematic against the Ravens’ struggling pass defense — especially in the middle of the field — and will make life even harder on them with his legs. Childs Walker, reporter Ravens 27, Bills 24: These are two teams trying to take the last step to the Super Bowl, and they’ll present several matchup problems for one another. Can the Ravens impose their running game and keep Lamar Jackson from having to drop back too often against one of the league’s most formidable pass rushes? Can Josh Allen find open receivers early in the game when the Ravens flood the field with defensive backs, and can he hurt them with his legs? Both teams will want to play from ahead, but the Ravens will have the slightest advantage as they pound a wounded defense with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson for a win that puts their season back on track. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 21, Bills 18: I have believed in the Bills for the past two seasons and they always disappoint. Buffalo is just soft — way too soft. The Ravens could dismantle the Bills with a strong running game because Buffalo allows 4.7 yards per carry. They aren’t as weak or pitiful as Dallas last week, but Buffalo will be forced to stack the line of scrimmage and make the Ravens beat them by throwing the ball. Ravens guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele have improved over the past three games, but let’s remember the Ravens played the Cowboys last Sunday. Regardless, the Ravens’ brand of style is physicality and they should be able to wear the Bills down. I like what quarterback Josh Allen is doing with Buffalo. He is spreading the ball around and looks to be having fun after the team parted ways with disgruntled diva receiver Stefon Diggs in the offseason. Allen is having a great season despite his reckless style, but the Bills aren’t balanced enough on both sides of the ball to beat Baltimore, especially if the Ravens’ secondary shows up in the fourth quarter. That group has played poorly the past two games against Las Vegas and Dallas. The Raiders scored two field goals and a touchdown in the final 12 minutes of the game and the Cowboys scored three touchdowns in six minutes the fourth. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 31, Bills 30: Maybe Buffalo is better off without Stefon Diggs? The “everybody eats” offense under coordinator Joe Brady has feasted this season, as six players have caught a touchdown pass from Josh Allen. Individually, the Bills’ playmakers are underwhelming, but as a unit they have been effective thanks to their complementary skill sets. Of course, it’s Allen who makes the whole operation sing. Nobody is playing quarterback better than him right now, and Baltimore’s defense is vulnerable as it finds its footing under new coordinator Zach Orr. The Ravens could wind up in a track meet against a banged-up Buffalo defense, but the question is whether the offensive line can hold up against a formidable front led by Greg Rousseau, A.J. Epenesa, Von Miller and Ed Oliver. This will be a true test for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, who must find enough running room to avoid third-and-long situations and keep the ball out of Allen’s hands. And let’s just say now would be a good time for Justin Tucker to figure out his “technique issue.” This one might come down to his leg. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Staff picks for Week 4 of 2024 NFL season: Vikings vs. Packers, Chiefs vs. Chargers and more Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bills scouting report for Week 4: Who has the edge? Baltimore Ravens | Yannick Ngakoue on Ravens reunion: ‘I’m a Maryland guy through and through’ Baltimore Ravens | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson explains why he shut down Marlon Humphrey’s Instagram Live Baltimore Ravens | Ravens practice, September 25, 2024 | PHOTOS Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 35, Bills 28: What a fun matchup. The Bills were clicking on all cylinders Monday night, wiping the Jaguars out by halftime behind an MVP-type performance from quarterback Josh Allen. Buffalo has played stout defense the past two weeks, too, allowing a total of 20 points to Jacksonville and Miami — one bad offense, and one with a below-average backup under center. Neither are the Ravens, who showed more of what their identity in 2024 could (and should) look like: getting everyone involved early and relying on bruising running back Derrick Henry to hold a lead. But can the defense prove it can avoid another collapse, or close to it? That is still to be seen under new coordinator Zach Orr. Expect two high-powered offenses to go toe-to-toe in prime time and the Ravens to pull one out at home for a signature win that puts them right back into contender status after a disappointing 0-2 start. Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 27, Bills 24: Baltimore’s win over Dallas was a step in the right direction after a disheartening 0-2 start. Sunday’s game against undefeated Buffalo provides John Harbaugh’s team a chance to affirm its place as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. While Buffalo’s offense has been phenomenal through three games and leads the NFL in scoring with 37.3 points per game, the Bills’ rushing defense has the seventh-worst grade among all NFL teams, per Pro Football Focus. Baltimore leads the NFL in yards per game (430.3), and its rushing attack is as dangerous as any in the NFL. The Ravens move to .500 by leaning on their backfield tandem of Jackson and Henry, just like they did in the win over Dallas. View the full article

Baltimore Sun staff writers pick every game of the NFL season. Here’s who they have winning in Week 4: Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (Thursday, 8:15 p.m.) Brian Wacker (8-8 last week; 28-20 overall): Cowboys Childs Walker (9-7 last week; 24-24 overall): Cowboys Mike Preston (6-10 last week; 25-23 overall): Cowboys C.J. Doon (6-10 last week; 25-23 overall): Cowboys Tim Schwartz (9-7 last week; 28-20 overall): Cowboys Bennett Conlin (8-8 last week; 24-24 overall): Cowboys New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Falcons Walker: Saints Preston: Saints Doon: Falcons Schwartz: Falcons Conlin: Saints Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Bengals Walker: Bengals Preston: Bengals Doon: Panthers Schwartz: Bengals Conlin: Bengals Los Angeles Rams at Chicago Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Rams Walker: Bears Preston: Rams Doon: Rams Schwartz: Rams Conlin: Rams Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Packers Walker: Packers Preston: Vikings Doon: Vikings Schwartz: Vikings Conlin: Vikings Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (Sunday 1 p.m.) Wacker: Texans Walker: Texans Preston: Texans Doon: Texans Schwartz: Texans Conlin: Texans Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Steelers Walker: Steelers Preston: Steelers Doon: Steelers Schwartz: Steelers Conlin: Steelers Denver Broncos at New York Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Jets Walker: Jets Preston: Jets Doon: Jets Schwartz: Jets Conlin: Jets Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m.) Wacker: Eagles Walker: Eagles Preston: Buccaneers Doon: Eagles Schwartz: Buccaneers Conlin: Buccaneers Washington Commanders at Arizona Cardinals (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: Commanders Walker: Cardinals Preston: Cardinals Doon: Commanders Schwartz: Commanders Conlin: Cardinals New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:05 p.m.) Wacker: 49ers Walker: 49ers Preston: 49ers Doon: 49ers Schwartz: 49ers Conlin: 49ers Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Chiefs Walker: Chiefs Preston: Chiefs Doon: Chiefs Schwartz: Chiefs Conlin: Chargers Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m.) Wacker: Raiders Walker: Browns Preston: Browns Doon: Raiders Schwartz: Raiders Conlin: Browns Related Articles NFL | Ravens vs. Bills scouting report for Week 4: Who has the edge? NFL | Yannick Ngakoue on Ravens reunion: ‘I’m a Maryland guy through and through’ NFL | Ravens’ Lamar Jackson explains why he shut down Marlon Humphrey’s Instagram Live NFL | Ravens practice, September 25, 2024 | PHOTOS NFL | Ravens missing 3 starting offensive linemen at Wednesday’s practice Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins (Monday, 7:30 p.m.) Wacker: Titans Walker: Dolphins Preston: Dolphins Doon: Dolphins Schwartz: Dolphins Conlin: Titans Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions (Monday, 8:15 p.m.) Wacker: Lions Walker: Lions Preston: Lions Doon: Seahawks Schwartz: Lions Conlin: Lions View the full article

The Ravens (1-2) held on to beat the Cowboys, 28-25, and avoid an 0-3 start. The Bills (3-0) thrashed the Jaguars, 47-10, on “Monday Night Football” to remain unbeaten. Who will have the edge when these perennial AFC contenders meet Sunday night at M&T Bank Stadium? Ravens passing game vs. Bills pass defense Lamar Jackson threw infrequently but efficiently (averaging 12.1 yards on 15 attempts) as the Ravens leaned on their ground game to beat Dallas. He didn’t generally have to throw into tight windows, though he did fire a third-down completion to a well-covered Zay Flowers to help clinch the victory. The Ravens neutralized the Cowboys’ pass rush by scheming quick throws, several of which turned into catch-and-runs that went more than 20 yards. They stuck with Patrick Mekari at right tackle and Daniel Faalele at right guard. Both avoided major mistakes, allowing a pair of hurries each in 18 pass blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. The Ravens will take that, but their overhauled offensive line will face a sterner test from the Bills, who attack with productive pass rushers from the edge and the interior. They sacked Trevor Lawrence five times and hit him nine times in blowing out the Jaguars. Defensive end Gregory Rousseau and outside linebacker Von Miller have three sacks each. Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones push the pocket from inside. Three Ravens starting linemen, Mekari (neck), center Tyler Linderbaum (knee) and left guard Andrew Vorhees (ankle), did not practice Wednesday. Jackson hasn’t locked in on a favorite target. In the first game, it was tight end Isaiah Likely. In the second, it was Flowers. Against Dallas, Jackson spread his 12 completions to seven receivers. The one major surprise is tight end Mark Andrews ranking fifth on the team with a mere eight targets. He played just 21 of 63 offensive snaps against the Cowboys as the Ravens largely turned away from their aerial attack. With the Bills missing their top inside linebacker, Matt Milano, this could be a week for Andrews and Likely to go off in the middle of the field. EDGE: Even Bills passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Josh Allen said farewell to his most prolific target, Stefon Diggs, in the offseason, but if anything, he has played more efficiently, completing 75% of his passes and averaging 8.8 yards per attempt. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir (14 catches on 14 targets, 168 yards) is Allen’s new No. 1, with tight end Dalton Kincaid and running back James Cook presenting threats closer to the line of scrimmage. Allen connected with 10 receivers against Jacksonville, so every Ravens linebacker and defensive back will be tested at some point. It’s a foreboding thought for a defense that has struggled to close off the middle of the field and to cover top targets when protecting leads. The Ravens put extra defensive backs on the field in dime packages and frustrated the Cowboys with aggressive coverage for three quarters but again let too many receivers spring free as Dak Prescott led three straight touchdown drives in a six-minute span of the fourth quarter. Starting cornerbacks Brandon Stephens and Marlon Humphrey played well, aided by Ar’Darius Washington, who excelled as a substitute for linebacker Trenton Simpson in those aforementioned dime looks. The Ravens also generated plenty of pressure, led by outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy’s two sacks, four hurries and one deflection. Van Noy and Odafe Oweh have stepped up their production to fill the void left by Jadeveon Clowney, though the Ravens rank a mediocre 19th in pressures per dropback. Defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike lost a sack in the end zone to a bizarre rules interpretation by the game officials in Dallas. The Ravens will go against a Buffalo line, led by tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, that has done a solid job protecting Allen (one quarterback hit against Jacksonville). EDGE: Bills Ravens running game vs. Bills run defense The Ravens overpowered the Cowboys’ flimsy defensive front, running for 274 yards on 45 attempts and showcasing the full potential of the Jackson-Derrick Henry partnership. Henry (151 yards, two touchdowns against Dallas) took advantage of markedly improved run blocking from Mekari and Faalele, along with excellent work from Linderbaum and the tight ends. Henry went wild in the third quarter, when the Ravens built their lead to 28-6 and appeared on the verge of blowing the Cowboys out. Jackson then put the game on ice when he faked a handoff to Flowers and picked his way up the middle for a first down that allowed the Ravens to run out the clock. He and Henry are on pace to combine for more than 3,000 rushing yards and the main reasons the Ravens have averaged a league-best 5.9 yards per carry. This is the advantage coordinator Todd Monken’s offense will have to press against a Buffalo defense that has allowed 4.7 yards per carry. Milano’s absence in the middle is significant. As good as the Bills’ interior linemen and edge rushers are at generating pressure, they’re not as stout against the run. Will defensive coordinator Bobby Babich load the box and try to force Jackson to beat him over the top? If not, the Bills might get trampled. EDGE: Ravens Bills running game vs. Ravens run defense The Ravens have held opponents to 50 rushing yards per game and 2.8 yards per attempt despite dressing just four defensive linemen against the Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs. All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith has picked up his play after a dreadful opener, and safety Kyle Hamilton was a hammer around the line of scrimmage in Dallas. Travis Jones and Michael Pierce are playing well as they rotate snaps on the interior. They’ll face a more substantial challenge against the Bills, who feature one of the league’s top backs in Cook (188 yards, 4.6 yards per carry, three touchdowns) and one of the most bruising running quarterbacks of all time in Allen (5.0 yards per carry, two touchdowns, nine first downs on 17 attempts). Cook is a problem if Buffalo commits to the run, but Allen is the real terror, because, like Jackson, he can improvise a first down against seemingly perfect defense. Ravens opponents have attempted just 53 runs through three games. The Bills have attempted 88 over their three victories. Each side will face its greatest test to date in this matchup. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Bills special teams Special teams again took center stage as the Ravens nearly blew their 22-point lead against Dallas. Justin Tucker missed a 46-yard field goal attempt that would have put them up 31-6, his third miss in three games. Coach John Harbaugh acknowledged the Pro Bowl kicker is dealing with a “technique issue” that’s causing him to miss wide left. The Ravens also let the Cowboys in the door when Flowers to scoop up an onside kick in the fourth quarter. On the plus side, punter Jordan Stout rebounded from an ugly shank the previous week to kick well in Dallas, and returner Deonte Harty played his best game as a Raven. Bills kicker Tyler Bass has missed three times from 40-49 yards over the past two seasons and has yet to attempt a kick from 50 yards or beyond this year. Brandon Codrington is a dangerous returner, but special teams isn’t a strength for Buffalo’s otherwise well-balanced team. EDGE: Ravens Ravens intangibles vs. Bills intangibles The Ravens delivered their best performance of the season in a de facto must-win game to avoid going 0-3. Their near-collapse left questions about their ability to finish seemingly overmatched opponents. Harbaugh has acknowledged they’re still not nearly consistent enough at coverage, pass protection or special teams. Jackson, now 59-21 as a regular season starter, proved again that he’s the team’s ace in the hole as he pulled the Ravens from the brink with his clinching pass and run. They need to keep winning to put their disappointing start behind them, and they’ll be aided by the boisterous prime-time atmosphere at M&T Bank Stadium. The Bills rallied from a 20-3 second-quarter deficit to beat the Ravens in Baltimore the last time these teams met in October 2022. They’re off to as good a start as any team in the league and draw tremendous confidence from Allen, just as the Ravens do from Jackson. Coach Sean McDermott hasn’t been around as long as Harbaugh but has guided Buffalo to six playoff appearances over the past seven seasons. The Bills went 4-4 on the road in 2023. EDGE: Even Prediction These are two teams trying to take the last step to the Super Bowl, and they’ll present several matchup problems for one another. Can the Ravens impose their running game and keep Jackson from having to drop back too often against one of the league’s most formidable pass rushes? Can Allen find open receivers early in the game when the Ravens flood the field with defensive backs, and can he hurt them with his legs? Both teams will want to play from ahead, but the Ravens will have the slightest advantage as they pound a wounded defense with Henry and Jackson for a win that puts their season back on track. Ravens 27, Bills 24 View the full article

Yannick Ngakoue’s familiarity with Baltimore and eagerness to join the Ravens’ defense runs deeper than merely three starts over nine games four seasons ago. He once shared the field with outside linebackers coach Matt Robinson while the two were at the University of Maryland. The summer after his sophomore year, Ngakoue saved up enough money to train in Atlanta with pass rush coach Chuck Smith. And years removed from the first failed experiment in Baltimore, he never lost faith in coach John Harbaugh. “I believe everything happens for a reason,” Ngakoue said standing next to his new locker in Owings Mills just days after signing to the Ravens’ practice squad. “Went through peaks and valleys, just going to different spots and different places but I feel like, ultimately it was meant for me to come back here and give my best football.” Ngakoue, a 29-year-old outside linebacker from Bowie, began his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent four years. Two weeks before the start of the 2020 season, he was shipped to Minnesota. Eight weeks later, the Vikings turned around and sent the 2015 third-round pick to Baltimore. Peaks and valleys led him here in the first place, he said. After a stint in Las Vegas, where he led the 2021 Raiders with 10 sacks; then Indianapolis, totaling 9 1/2 sacks in 2022; and finally Chicago, where he had four sacks in 13 games before a season-ending ankle injury. It brought him right back to his home state. “I’m a Maryland guy through and through,” Ngakoue said. “Born and raised here. Love the locker room. Love the guys here. We have a great quarterback. And I just want to be able to help get the ball back to the offense.” Ngakoue visited with both the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers this offseason. Even before that, he had been in talks with Harbaugh about a possible reunion. Communication fizzled as training camp wore on. Then his agent called. Ngakoue signed to Baltimore’s practice squad Monday. “He was in a situation where he was ready to get back, [he’s] healthy and ready to start playing,” Harbaugh said. “It’s good to have another legitimate pass rusher on campus. That’s a valuable thing.” The Terps’ record book is littered with Ngakoue’s accomplishments. He holds the single-season sack record with 13 1/2 in 2015 and is fourth in career sacks (21 1/2). He’s also eighth in career tackles for loss (33) and sixth in tackles for loss yardage (176). Ahead of the Terps’ 2014 season, Robinson told The Washington Post that he noticed Ngakoue getting in the film room more and probing veterans for help. “That’s what he loves to do,” Robinson said at the time. Now, the two are back together diagraming ways to bring down the quarterback. After that 2014 season, Ngakoue asked himself what more he could do. “I just wanted to be satisfied with myself,” he told reporters. So he worked with Smith, a pass-rush guru in Atlanta to add to his repertoire. Ngakoue offers a veteran presence for Baltimore’s relatively inexperienced group of pass rushers. At 33, Kyle Van Noy is the only Ravens pass rusher over 25. That said, the youngsters rank ninth in the NFL with 10 sacks in three games. Van Noy joined the Ravens at this point last season, inking a two-year deal before Week 4. So, although the two haven’t yet connected on the matter, he can share in the challenges of picking up a defense while working back into game shape. Related Articles Baltimore Ravens | Ravens vs. Bills scouting report for Week 4: Who has the edge? 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 missing 3 starting offensive linemen at Wednesday’s practice Baltimore Ravens | Ravens film study: How Daniel Faalele paved the way vs. Cowboys “I think for him, he probably has a little advantage because he’s been here,” Van Noy said. “He knows the building, the people. … Just him [being] focused and being ready to go – and it seems like he is that way already … He’s looking good out there, and I think he’s just going to continue to put his head down and work, and if he gets that opportunity, I think he’s going to make the most of it.” Ngakoue stayed up until about 11 p.m. watching back film from the Ravens’ bamboozling loss to the Raiders and bounce-back win over the Dallas Cowboys. He walked away from his first practice Wednesday feeling like he’s ready to make an impact right away (while acknowledging that’s not his decision). The NFL expanded a rule this offseason about adding veterans to practice squads, allowing six players with two-plus years of experience as opposed to four. “Now you have more practice squad guys [and] you can bring a guy in like [Ngakoue],” Harbaugh said. “And he can practice and get ready for the opportunity when it does come up to fill the role. I think it’s a win, win, win for everybody.” View the full article

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