The Cowboys’ trip to Rio de Janeiro comes with plenty of outside noise, but the game inside Maracanã Stadium will still come down to the same old NFL truth: win the matchups, win the night.
Dallas and Baltimore meet in Week 3 with the field conditions drawing plenty of attention, though the NFL has been working to make sure the surface is safe. The Cowboys can’t control that part. What they can control is whether they can hold up in the areas that decide games, and there are four battles that stand out.
The first is Dallas’ run game against a Ravens front that has been stingy so far. Through two games, the Cowboys are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry with 135 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Baltimore has given up only 167 rushing yards and is allowing 3.6 yards per attempt. With Tyler Smith still out, Dallas is already working uphill, but the offense has to find a way to be better on the ground.
The longer Lamar Jackson is stuck on the sideline, the better Dallas’ chances become, and that means the run game has to do its part. Offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who is known for his work as an O-line coach and run-game schemer, will need to get creative.
The other side of that equation is even more dangerous. Baltimore has rolled up 310 rushing yards and five touchdowns, while the Cowboys have been gashed for 347 yards and five yards per carry.
Dallas rebuilt its defensive line with Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Otito Ogbonnia to stop exactly this kind of attack, but the results through two games haven’t matched the plan. Former NFL player Gerald McCoy recently criticized how Williams and the rest of the D-line are being used, and this matchup gives them a chance to answer back.
Against Derrick Henry, the Cowboys’ defensive front can’t get moved around. If Baltimore starts getting a push, Henry will be able to build momentum and spend the day making life miserable for the linebackers and safeties trying to clean things up.
Then there’s Lamar Jackson, which is a problem all by itself. Dallas has already been vulnerable to quarterbacks on the ground, allowing the most rushing yards to opposing passers this season.
Jaxson Dart ran for 54 yards in Week 1, and Jayden Daniels added 69 in Week 2 despite missing the entire second half. Jackson is a different kind of threat, one of the most elusive runners in the game regardless of position.
That puts a lot on Jaishawn Barham and Dee Winters. They have to stay disciplined, handle their coverage duties, and know when to break off and chase.
There’s no perfect answer for Jackson, but keeping him contained would be a major win.
If Dallas has a real edge anywhere, it’s through the air. CeeDee Lamb has been the engine of the passing game, piling up 13 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns.
George Pickens hasn’t put up the numbers the Cowboys are used to, but his presence still matters, and Ryan Flournoy is another player who can break loose at any moment. Baltimore’s pass defense has looked solid, though it has come against the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, and neither of those teams brings the kind of explosive receiving talent Dallas can throw at them.
For the Cowboys, that means the passing game may be their best path to stealing this one. If they can lean into one of their few advantages and get all three receivers involved, especially when the chains are on the line on third down, they’ll give themselves a real shot to leave Rio with a win.
In Other News...
Ravens Brazil Game Just Got An Unexpected Halftime Twist
The Ravens trip to Brazil is getting a bigger spotlight than just the football itself, with Ricky Martin set to headline the halftime show when Baltimore faces the Cowboys. Hell be joined onstage by Brazilian funk star Pedro Sampaio, adding a local flavor to a matchup already notable as part of the NFLs push into an international market.
For Baltimore, its another reminder that this game is being staged as more than a regular-season date on the schedule. Martin brings worldwide recognition and prior NFL halftime experience, while Sampaio gives the event a distinctly Brazilian edge, making the midgame break one more part of a night designed to feel like a showcase. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Already Have A Dak Problem Before Rio Kickoff
The NFLs first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro is already drawing attention before kickoff, with the Cowboys and Ravens set to meet at Maracan Stadium in a showcase that feels as much about the setting as the matchup. Players who saw the field came away saying it was very soft, adding an immediate layer of uncertainty to a trip that was supposed to spotlight two of the leagues biggest brands on an international stage.
Off the field, the pregame presentation has also stirred conversation, especially among Cowboys fans who took issue with the caricatures of Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson displayed around the stadium. Prescotts likeness in particular drew plenty of criticism online for how unflattering it looked, giving Dallas supporters something else to gripe about before the football even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Week 1 Opener Suddenly Has A Serious Brazil Problem
The Ravens Week 1 trip to Brazil is drawing some unexpected attention before either team takes the field, and it has nothing to do with travel or atmosphere. The Cowboys-Ravens matchup at Rio de Janeiros Maracana Stadium has sparked concerns about the condition of the playing surface, with league and union officials already weighing in on the work being done to improve traction and stability.
NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter and NFL field director Nick Pappas have both addressed the efforts underway to get the surface ready, underscoring just how closely this one is being watched. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has said he feels confident about playing there, but for Baltimore, the bigger question is whether the field is going to be in acceptable shape by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]