Lamar Jackson, Ravens Smell Blood as Desperate Cowboys Defense Tries to Stop the Bleeding
Dallas was gashed for 190 rushing yards last week; now Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson arrive at AT&T Stadium with both teams desperate to avoid 1-2.
Key Story Takeaways
- Lamar Jackson has accounted for 12 total touchdowns and zero turnovers in his last four regular season starts.
- Dallas surrendered 190 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground during their blowout Week 2 defeat.
- Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons leads the NFL in quarterback hurries (14) but will be tasked with edge containment.
- Sportsbooks list the Ravens as 1.5-point road favorites in Arlington, with a high total of 47.5.
ARLINGTON, Texas — There is no sugarcoating the tension inside The Star this week.
After getting pulverized at home by New Orleans for 44 points and nearly 200 rushing yards, Mike McCarthy's Dallas Cowboys face another heavyweight crisis: Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and a Baltimore Ravens team equally desperate to avoid an early 1-2 hole.
Direct Quotes From the Locker Rooms
"Lamar Jackson is the most dangerous open-field weapon in the sport," Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy stated bluntly. "If your edge rushers lose lane discipline, he turns a third-and-eight into a 40-yard sprint. Our linebackers have to stay patient and trust their gap assignments."
Lamar Jackson, coming off an uncharacteristic Week 2 fourth-quarter lapse against Las Vegas, knows Dallas will come out firing:
"Dallas has game-wreckers all over their defense. We have to execute our assignments, stay on schedule, and put the ball in the end zone when we get inside the 20. We can't settle for field goals."
The Key Battle: Derrick Henry vs. Dallas Interior D-Line
The blueprint to beat Dallas is no secret: run directly at their lighter interior defensive tackles. If Baltimore's offensive line creates push for Derrick Henry on early downs, Dallas won't be able to unleash Micah Parsons as a pure pass rusher. Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb will need to put up 30-plus points to keep up.