There’s really no mystery here: if the Ravens want to make life easier on themselves in Brazil, they need to lean hard into the run game and keep leaning.
That starts with Derrick Henry. It also starts with a game plan that stops trying to be clever for the sake of it.
The setup against the Cowboys points in one direction, and it isn’t a night of empty passing volume or cute detours into overthinking. With rookie offensive coordinator Doyle under the microscope after last week’s blown 11-point lead against the Saints, this is the kind of spot where Baltimore has to get back to basics and stay there.
Brian Baldinger didn’t hide how he felt about that offensive mess on “The Daily Flock Show” this week.
“I really don’t know what they were trying to do on offense,” NFL analyst Brian Baldinger told me at one point during “The Daily Flock Show” this week. He was visibly frustrated at one point in the discussion.
“I just think they outthink themselves sometimes with everything that's on their play sheet,” Baldy said. “Like just execute the fundamentals.”
That’s the heart of the argument for Sunday. The Ravens have already shown what happens when they drift away from what works, and the recent decisions around personnel only make the case stronger.
Since halftime of Week 2, Doyle has made choices that suggest a strange priority shift, including leaning into player development and giving LaJohntay Wester heavy snaps while Derrick Henry and blocker Durham Smythe were on the field less than they should have been. Rookie tight ends Matthew Hibner and Josh Cuevas also got more run than the veterans, and that kind of approach is hard to defend when the result was a game Baltimore should have had sealed.
Now the Ravens face a Cowboys defense that can be attacked on the ground, and they can be attacked in a very specific way. The numbers on quarterback runs are ugly for Dallas.
In 2024-26, the Cowboys’ QB run defense EPA sits at -33.43, which is 32nd, with Pittsburgh next at 31st and -16.20. Dallas has seen the most quarterback runs so far, and the damage has been obvious.
Jayden Daniels ran for 69 yards in the first half against them before leaving last week, and of 13 non-aborted, non-knee down, non-short-yardage QB runs, nine have gone for at least seven yards and five have produced 14 or more.
That matters because the Ravens have the kind of offensive pieces that can stress that weakness. Former head coach John Harbaugh and former offensive coordinator Greg Roman used a ground-heavy approach to punish Dallas in Week 1, and the option game was a big part of it. That blueprint should still travel.
It also helps that the Cowboys have their own issues up front and Baltimore’s passing situation is far from ideal. Ronnie Stanley is out, Carson Vinson is set for his first career start at left tackle, and there is no veteran swing tackle waiting in the wings.
Lamar Jackson is in the last guaranteed year of his deal, the left guard is a rookie who has struggled in pass protection, and the interior of the line has been shaky enough already. This was a serious problem even when Stanley was active, including in Week 2 when he tried to play through a toe injury.
The receiving group doesn’t offer much relief either. Zay Flowers may not play because of a hamstring issue, and even if he does suit up, the expectation is that he could be more decoy than centerpiece.
That makes the case for riding 12 personnel even stronger, with Mark Andrews and Smythe helping in both the run game and the pass game. The idea of forcing the ball to Chris Moore on third-and-one doesn’t fit the situation.
Dallas doesn’t have a pass rush to scare anybody, but the Ravens still shouldn’t invite chaos. The A gap is a problem, the offensive line is vulnerable, and there’s no reason to ask for more dropback stress than necessary. Baltimore should be trying to shorten the game and keep the ball on the ground, even if that means pushing toward 40 rushes.
The setting only strengthens that plan. In soccer stadiums outside England, where the NFL doesn’t have the same kind of routine it does in London, the efficiency numbers tilt toward running. QB run EPA rises from 0.78 per play in standard settings to 1.24 in those “exotic” locales, while overall rushing EPA is -1.06 per play there compared with -2.45 in the US/England.
That’s a real enough edge to matter, especially on a soft surface where a back like Henry can cut and punish defenders who don’t adjust well. If the game stays close, this should be a 25-carry night at minimum.
In Other News...
Lamar Jackson Capitalized On A Cowboys Mistake Ravens Fans Wont Forget
The Ravens had already seen enough to know how thin the margin was in their Brazil matchup with the Cowboys, and the final kickoff decision only sharpened that lesson. Dallas chose to take the touchback instead of squibbing it away, leaving Baltimore with the full clock and a chance to make the most of one last possession.
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
After the Ravens took a Week 2 loss, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle was an easy target for the usual second-guessing that follows a disappointing result. His first year as a play-caller had already put him under a brighter spotlight than most, and the question hanging over him was whether he could answer it with the kind of sequencing and confidence Baltimore expects when the game tightens.
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 🡒]