The Ravens and Cowboys meet in Brazil for the second international game of the 2026 NFL season, and both teams arrive with the same 1-1 record - though they got there in very different ways.
Dallas opened with a loss to the New York Giants before rebounding in Week 2 with a strong win over the Washington Commanders. Baltimore started by rolling past the Indianapolis Colts, then followed that with a surprising defeat against the New Orleans Saints.
Even with that Week 2 stumble, Lamar Jackson is starting to look a lot like the MVP version of himself again. Through two games, he has completed 67.9% of his passes for 559 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 74 rushing yards and a score on the ground. The Ravens still want Zay Flowers back in the mix as soon as possible, but Jackson’s level of play is putting Baltimore in position to be a real AFC contender.
The case for Baltimore in this matchup starts with the numbers. The Ravens lead the NFL in Net Yards per Play at +2.1, and their offense sits inside the top six in both EPA per play and success rate. Their defense has been the softer spot, settling in around the middle of the league in most metrics, but the offense has carried enough weight to keep them dangerous.
The loss to New Orleans also looks a lot less alarming when you dig into how the game played out. Baltimore, by the underlying numbers, was more deserving of the win than the final score suggested, which is why the Week 2 result doesn’t really change the outlook much here.
Dallas, on the other hand, has some real work to do on defense. The Cowboys rank 29th in opponent EPA per play and 31st in opponent success rate, putting them near the bottom of the league. That leaves their offense in a tough spot: if they want to hang with Baltimore, they may need to score almost every time they get the ball.
That’s the shape of this game heading into Week 3 - a Ravens offense playing at a high level against a Cowboys defense that has struggled to get stops.
In Other News...
Ravens Face An Early Derrick Henry Decision After Costly Loss
The Ravens left New Orleans with more than a frustrating loss, and part of the conversation afterward centered on how Derrick Henry was used late. Baltimore had a lead in the fourth quarter, yet Henry saw limited carries down the stretch, a decision that stood out for a back with his track record as a load-bearing runner. He finished with 68 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, numbers that only added to the sense that there was more production available if the offense had stayed with him longer.
Jamal Lewis, the former Ravens running back, has already weighed in and urged the coaching staff to lean on Henry more effectively. It is the kind of early-season usage question that can linger if a team feels it let one get away, and it comes at a useful time for Baltimore with the Cowboys next on the schedule. How the Ravens balance Henrys workload in that matchup will say plenty about whether Sunday was a one-off or a sign of a larger decision they need to make quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jackson Just Added Extra Heat To Ravens-Cowboys In Brazil
Lamar Jackson has already found a way to add a little spice to Baltimores matchup with Dallas in Brazil. Asked about the Cowboys carrying the Americas Team label before the overseas meeting, the Ravens quarterback pointed out the obvious difference between America and Brazil, a line that gave the week an extra edge before the teams even took the field.
For Baltimore, it is another chance for Jackson to face a franchise he has handled well in the past, and that matters in a game that already has plenty of attention attached to it. The setting is unusual, the opponent is familiar, and Jacksons comments only sharpened the spotlight on a meeting that was going to draw interest anyway. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jackson Is Already Feeling A Ravens Problem That Could Linger
Through the first two games of the 2026 season, Lamar Jackson has already spent plenty of time working with traffic in his lap, and it has helped shape a mixed start for Baltimores offense. Jackson has been pressured on more than 40% of his dropbacks, a rate that ranks among the highest for quarterbacks, and it has put an early spotlight on a line that still does its best work in the run game but has not held up nearly as well when the Ravens ask it to protect the passer.
For Baltimore, the concern goes beyond a rough opening stretch because this is the kind of issue that can follow a team if it is not addressed quickly. The Ravens are looking at possible adjustments, including lineup changes, as they try to stabilize pass protection and give Jackson a cleaner platform to operate from, but the challenge is whether those fixes can come fast enough to matter before the seasons early pressure becomes a longer-term problem. [Read more 🡒]