ExtremeRavens Posted September 19 Posted September 19 The Ravens blew a 23-13 fourth-quarter lead in a shocking home loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Cowboys did even worse, falling 44-19 to the New Orleans Saints on their home field. Who will have the advantage when these 2023 playoff teams meet Sunday afternoon in Dallas? Ravens passing game vs. Cowboys pass defense Through two games, Lamar Jackson’s completion percentage and yards per attempt are down from his 2023 NFL Most Valuable Player levels. He has spread the ball effectively, connecting at least five times with five different receivers, but he couldn’t hurt the Raiders downfield, completing just one pass over 20 yards (to Zay Flowers late in the second quarter). The Ravens went away from their play-action game against Las Vegas (despite great efficiency when they did use it). Coach John Harbaugh indicated that will be a bigger part of their game plan going forward. Tight end Isaiah Likely saw just three targets after leading the team in catches and receiving yards in the season opener. Pass blocking remains the greatest concern underlying the Ravens’ offensive frustrations. When Jackson needed time to throw on first down after the Raiders had tied the score at 23, right guard Daniel Faalele could not stay in front of Las Vegas’ top pass rusher, Maxx Crosby, on an inside stunt that produced a devastating 9-yard sack. Crosby finished with two sacks and two hurries, and the Ravens will face an equally daunting game wrecker this week in Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (14 sacks, 33 quarterback hits in 2023). Like Crosby, Parsons lines up wherever he sees the best matchup, so don’t be surprised of he attacks the right side of the Ravens’ offensive line. Could this be a week when rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten plays more than veteran partner Patrick Mekari because he has quicker feet? Dallas has played the pass effectively in recent years, ranking seventh in DVOA in 2023. Parsons is the star, but the Cowboys also ranked eighth in the league with 17 interceptions last year and have three in the first two games this year. All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland is out with a foot injury, but Trevon Diggs is back as a dangerous ballhawk after missing most of last season. Veteran DeMarcus Lawrence complements Parsons as a pass rusher. The Cowboys had little luck reaching quarterback Derek Carr in their blowout loss to the Saints after they were all over Deshaun Watson in their opening win in Cleveland. EDGE: Cowboys Cowboys passing game vs. Ravens pass defense Dak Prescott put up huge numbers (4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns) last season but has been less efficient through two games this years. He’s playing behind a pair of struggling tackles in Terence Steele and Tyler Guyton, who have combined to allow four sacks and nine hurries. He was without Pro Bowl tight end Jake Ferguson (knee) in the loss to New Orleans. The one target he can always count on is Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (135 catches, 1,739 yards, 12 touchdowns in 2023), who’s both a home run threat and a high-volume drive extender. The Ravens struggled to cover Las Vegas’ top receiver, Davante Adams, when protecting a lead. Doing better against Lamb will be one of their top priorities in Dallas. Prescott’s other targets, veteran Brandin Cooks and Jalen Tolbert, are more manageable. Lamb did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury. The Ravens defended the pass better than any team in the league last year but have not approached that efficiency in two games under new coordinator Zach Orr. Their top edge rushers, Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy, played great against Las Vegas, combining for 4 1/2 sacks. Their coverage was less stellar as Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II had his way targeting Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers in the second half. The Ravens need better play from safeties Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton (who missed practice Wednesday with a back injury). Linebacker Roquan Smith improved on a dreadful opener, but Minshew went 6-for-6 against Smith’s partner, Trenton Simpson. EDGE: Even Ravens running game vs. Cowboys run defense The Ravens ran Derrick Henry outside to great effect in the second half against the Raiders, and he finished with 84 yards on 18 carries. They mysteriously went away from him after Las Vegas tied the game late in the fourth quarter, but this was at least a glimpse of Henry’s value as a closer. He has not been as effective between the tackles because of poor run blocking from Faalele and left guard Andrew Vorhees. Jackson, meanwhile, carried just five times for 45 yards (25 of those on a desperate final play) after carrying 16 for 122 in the opener. Ideally, the Ravens would keep him more involved in the run game while exposing him to less punishment than he took in Kansas City. They’ll have their chance against a run defense that gave up 190 yards against the Saints. Dallas had no answer for Alvin Kamara’s speed, and though the Ravens don’t have an exact facsimile, the Cowboys can’t relish the idea of accounting for both Jackson and Henry. This defense did play the run well last season, holding opponents to 4.2 yards per attempt. Lawrence is stout on the edge, and linebacker Damone Clark has played well through two weeks. EDGE: Ravens The Ravens’ Odafe Oweh sacks Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II during Sunday’s home opener at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Cowboys running game vs. Ravens run defense The Cowboys fell behind quickly against New Orleans, so running backs Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott combined for just 46 yards on 13 carries. Dallas is averaging 3.7 yards per carry after averaging 4.1 last season with Tony Pollard as its primary runner. Prescott can still hurt inattentive defenses on scrambles but doesn’t take off on many designed runs. This is a pass-first offense by any measure. The Ravens erased the Raiders’ ground attack, with Oweh and Van Noy setting tough edges and their interior linemen, led by Travis Jones, cleaning up in the middle. Las Vegas managed just 27 yards on 17 carries. The Ravens also cut their missed tackles from 11 in the opener to six against the Raiders, per Pro Football Focus. They’ve allowed 2.7 yards per carry through the first two weeks, down from 4.5 last season, so this part of the defense is working. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Cowboys special teams The Ravens played one of their worst special teams games in recent memory against Las Vegas. Justin Tucker missed a 56-yard field goal attempt, his sixth miss in seven tries from 50 or beyond over the past two seasons. Jordan Stout shanked a 24-yard punt when he needed to pin the Raiders deep late in the fourth quarter. John Kelly handed the Ravens poor starting field position on a fourth-quarter drive when he returned a kickoff from two yards inside the end zone. The Cowboys have perhaps the best kicker in the league in Brandon Aubrey, who has made 44 of 46 field goal attempts, including 13 of 13 from 50 yards or beyond, over the past two seasons. Punter Bryan Anger also made the Pro Bowl last year for a unit that finished 10th in DVOA. Return specialist KaVontae Turpin struggled last season but has averaged 19.2 yards on punts and 34.5 on kickoffs this year. EDGE: Cowboys Ravens intangibles vs. Cowboys intangibles The Ravens are in an 0-2 hole, and if there’s such a thing as a Week 3 must-win, this is it. Harbaugh has started this poorly just once in 17 seasons in Baltimore, and his team finished 5-11 that year. Jackson, 58-21 an an NFL starter, has never experienced anything like this. So the Ravens will go to Dallas with plenty of urgency. They went 7-1 on the road last year, highlighted by a 33-19 win at San Francisco on Christmas. They’re comfortable taking on a big game away from home. The Cowboys, 12-5 each of the past three seasons under coach Mike McCarthy, will also be eager to wipe away the taste of a bitter Week 2 defeat. They went undefeated at home last year, lighting up the scoreboard until Green Bay shocked them 48-32 in the wild-card round of the playoffs. They gave up 44 to the Saints, so this will be their chance to restore home-field advantage. EDGE: Ravens Prediction This is an unusually high-stakes matchup for so early in the season. The Ravens can’t afford to start 0-3, and the Cowboys can’t afford to be licked on their home field two weeks in a row. If the Ravens can keep Parsons out of Jackson’s face — a big if — they’ll score plenty. If they build an early lead, they’ll press on Dallas with a superior run game. Can their secondary do a better job on Lamb than it did against the Raiders’ top two targets? The answer is yes. The Ravens will begin digging out of their hole with a bruising road win. Ravens 27, Cowboys 23 View the full article Quote
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