The Ravens don’t have much room to carry last week’s mess into Sunday. After coughing up a lead to the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore heads into a Week 3 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys needing cleaner play from a few key spots - especially on defense and along the offensive line.
The secondary sits at the center of the problem. Malaki Starks has not looked like the player Ravens fans expected after the buzz around a potential leap in his second season. Against New Orleans, he missed tackles and got caught out of position in coverage, and that opened the door for a big second half from the Saints passing game and Chris Olave.
Now comes a tougher assignment. The Cowboys can throw CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at that back end, and Dak Prescott brings a lot more experience and talent than Tyler Shough.
Starks is also dealing with a hamstring injury, which kept him limited in practice earlier this week. That makes a turnaround harder to project, but Baltimore needs one anyway.
If he doesn’t settle down, the Ravens could find themselves in a game they don’t want - and maybe can’t - win.
Jaylinn Hawkins is in the same pressure cooker. His issues last week were just as damaging, with missed tackles and blown coverage helping fuel the Saints’ big plays.
The Cowboys are likely to test both safeties early and often, and this matchup may end up turning on how well that duo holds up. If there’s a more realistic bounce-back candidate between the two, Hawkins may be it, simply because he has more experience and Starks has the injury cloud hanging over him.
Baltimore also needs more from rookie guard Vega Ioane. The transition to the NFL has clearly been bumpy.
Ioane came in with a reputation for pass protection, but through two games he has allowed six pressures and owns a 38.5 pass protection grade per PFF. Last week, one of those pressures helped lead to Lamar Jackson’s well-discussed interception.
If the Ravens want their passing game to function properly, Ioane has to be sharper.
The matchup offers some help there. Dallas does not bring a strong pass rush, sitting in the bottom 10 in pressure rate and sacks. That gives Ioane a chance to steady himself.
Center Jovaughn Gwyn is in an even more precarious spot. He has been effective as a run blocker, but his pass protection has been rough enough to stand out.
His 19.5 pass protection grade per PFF is the worst among all starting centers. Baltimore cannot afford that kind of leak in front of Jackson, even against a Cowboys defense that isn’t especially intimidating.
A better day from Gwyn would help the Ravens get back on track and might buy him more time in the lineup. Another rough outing could push him toward a backup role. Either way, Baltimore needs the interior of the offensive line to hold up if it wants Sunday to look nothing like last week.
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 🡒]