Dak Prescott had a moment late in the Cowboys’ 34-31 loss to the Ravens that looked like it might age perfectly. Instead, it turned into the kind of clip that stings even more once the final whistle blows.
In the closing stretch of Dallas’ opener in Rio de Janeiro, Prescott noticed what he believed was a breakdown in Baltimore’s late-game communication. He was caught trash-talking the Ravens and told his teammates that Baltimore desperately needed to stop the clock. It looked, for a brief second, like the Cowboys had the edge.
That confidence came during a wild, high-scoring game at Maracanã Stadium, where 72,792 fans packed in for the showdown. Neither defense managed to put the brakes on much of anything, and the back-and-forth battle kept swinging until the very end.
Prescott did his part in the comeback attempt. He finished 25 of 40 for 276 yards and threw a late touchdown to Jake Ferguson as Dallas rallied in the second half. Then Brandon Aubrey appeared to send the game to overtime, drilling a 23-yard field goal with seven seconds left.
But Baltimore wasn’t finished.
Lamar Jackson answered immediately with a deep 27-yard strike over the middle to Zay Flowers, a play that let the Ravens call their final timeout with one second remaining. That set up Tyler Loop for a massive game-winning kick attempt, and the Ravens made sure Prescott’s trash talk came back to bite him by using that timeout to close out the win.
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Lamar Jackson Capitalized On A Cowboys Mistake Ravens Fans Wont Forget
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Lamar Jackson and the Ravens did exactly that, turning the extra time into a quick scoring drive that sealed a win Baltimore fans are unlikely to forget. The call fell on a Cowboys staff led by Brian Schottenheimer and special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen, and the criticism has followed them ever since because one cautious choice ended up giving Jackson the opening he needed. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Just Got The Response They Needed From Declan Doyle
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Against the Cowboys, Doyle delivered the response the Ravens needed. He put together a late drive that leaned into aggression and creativity, and it finished with Tyler Loop drilling a 56-yard field goal to seal a 34-31 win. For a coach still settling into the job, it was the kind of high-pressure series that can change the conversation quickly, even if the larger test of his play-calling is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Survived Absolute Chaos And Still Closed It Out
The Ravens trip to Rio de Janeiro was already going to stand out as a one-of-a-kind NFL event, and it turned into a finish worthy of the setting. Baltimore outlasted the Cowboys 34-31 in the leagues first game in Rio, with Lamar Jackson helping steer the late drive and Tyler Loop drilling a 56-yard field goal as time expired to end it.
Jacksons 27-yard strike to Zay Flowers late in the fourth quarter put the Ravens in position for the winning try, capping a night that also featured strong showings from Derrick Henry and Dak Prescott. It was the kind of chaotic, high-pressure opener that could have swung either way, and Baltimore left Brazil with a win it had to fight all the way to the final kick to secure. [Read more 🡒]
