The Cowboys head into Week 3 with more than just a game against the Ravens on the line.
Dallas, fresh off its first win of the 2026 campaign against Washington, will meet Baltimore in Brazil, and there are three names on the Cowboys’ side with plenty at stake. One is a rookie linebacker making a strong early case for himself.
Another is a veteran trying to avoid getting squeezed out of the rotation. And the third is the defensive coordinator, who badly needs his unit to show real progress.
Jaishawn Barham has been one of the bright spots for Dallas with DeMarvion Overshown out. The rookie drew the start in Week 2 and delivered another strong outing, continuing what has been a promising beginning to his career.
His Pro Football Focus marks tell the story: an 84.8 overall grade, an 80 run-defense grade and an 83.4 coverage grade. Among NFL linebackers, those numbers rank third, fifth and seventh.
That’s a very different picture from the one Winters has painted. The veteran has struggled through the opening stretch, posting a 43.5 overall grade, a 41.9 run-defense grade and a 52.5 coverage grade. Among 71 qualified linebackers, those figures sit 64th, 67th and 51st.
Overshown’s return is still not expected to happen immediately. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Overshown has a "low probability" to play this week, though the expectation has been that he won’t miss more than two games.
That puts even more pressure on Winters to show something against Baltimore. If he doesn’t, he could be looking at a backup job once Overshown is back.
At cornerback, Revel is in a different kind of spot. He’s been stuck behind DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant this season, taking fewer snaps than both on the outside.
But Durant’s hamstring injury could change the picture fast. If Durant can’t go, Revel would be pushed into a much larger role opposite Bland.
That gives Revel a real opening, even if it doesn’t immediately change the depth chart. Durant has played well enough this season that Revel wouldn’t leapfrog him with one strong game. Still, a standout performance could put Revel in position to move ahead of Bland at some point.
Then there’s Parker, who is back on this list for the second week in a row because Dallas’ defense still hasn’t delivered a true breakout. The Cowboys allowed 20 points against Washington, which was better than Week 1, but the performance came with a lot of warning signs underneath the surface.
Washington had chances to score two more touchdowns. Officials missed a call on one would-be touchdown, and the Commanders also came up just short on a trick play that could have worked with a better pass. Even beyond that, Washington moved the ball too easily on the ground and through the air, and Jayden Daniels was creating problems with his legs before he got hurt.
There are also lingering questions about whether Parker’s scheme is the right fit for Quinnen Williams, who has been fine but not dominant through two games.
That makes Week 3 a major test. Baltimore’s offense should provide a far tougher measuring stick, and the game in Brazil will say plenty about Parker and where Dallas’ defense really stands. If the Cowboys don’t pass that test, confidence in the defensive coordinator will only keep slipping.
In Other News...
Dak Prescott Dragged Back Into Ugly Off-Field Drama By Ex
Sarah Jane Ramos, the former fiance of Dak Prescott, was back in the spotlight this week after publicly shutting down rumors that she is pregnant. In addressing the chatter, she also pointed to a happier stretch in her own life since ending the relationship with the Cowboys quarterback, a breakup that had already been marked by the couple canceling their planned 2026 wedding.
Prescott has long kept his off-field life relatively private, but the latest round of comments has pulled him back into an uncomfortable public conversation. Ramos went further in her remarks by alleging infidelity during their relationship, adding another layer to a split that had already been messy enough without fresh speculation attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Could Catch A Break In Key Ravens Matchup
A possible absence in Baltimores passing game is shaping up as one of the more relevant injury notes for Dallas heading into Week 3. Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has been dealing with a hamstring injury, and after missing the second half of Week 1 and all of Week 2, he also did not practice recently, which puts his availability against the Cowboys very much in question.
For Dallas, the timing matters. The Cowboys are already preparing for a tough road matchup, and if Baltimore opts to be cautious with Flowers to keep the injury from getting worse, it would change how the Ravens build their offense around Lamar Jackson and the rest of the receiving group. The final decision still hangs over the week, but this is the kind of opening the Cowboys will be watching closely as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Already Have One Clear Winner In A Concerning 2027 Trend
The Cowboys have already gotten an early read on a few players whose contract futures will matter in 2027, and the evaluations are looking mixed at best. Dee Winters has been the clearest bright spot on defense, turning in a strong showing even while playing through injury, which only helps his case as a player Dallas will want to keep in the conversation. George Pickens, meanwhile, has not yet matched the kind of production the Cowboys hoped to see from him, leaving his early market value and role with the team more uncertain.
The bigger concern may still be in the trenches, where both the offensive and defensive lines have continued to struggle. For a team trying to build toward a more stable offseason picture, those issues matter just as much as the individual performances around them, because they shape how Dallas will judge its own depth and priorities. With 2027 looming on the horizon for this group, the Cowboys are already seeing which names are helping themselves and which ones still have work to do. [Read more 🡒]