Cowboys who clawed vs. Ravens

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ARLINGTON, Texas — It went without saying that the Dallas Cowboys needed a much, much better showing when they took the field in Week 3 to host the Baltimore Ravens over the showing one week prior against the New Orleans Saints. They couldn’t get anything of substance going in the latter, and Lamar Jackson’s goal was to keep it that way.

Jackson walked into AT&T Stadium desperately trying to stave off an 0-3 start to the season, while the Cowboys were hoping to avoid a three-game losing streak at home that dates back to the playoff loss in January to the Green Bay Packers.

Resiliency is usually a calling card of Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys, owning an impressive record of 12-2 (dating back to 2021) after suffering a loss, and even the two losses were to the wire — one involving overtime.

This was no different than the latter two events.

In what looked as if it would be another blowout loss at home, the third since January, the Cowboys caught fire and dwindled a multiple possession lead down to just three points as the fourth quarter wore on, giving the Ravens a very real scare. The bad news is they still suffered the loss, but the silver lining that was wholly present from Week 2 is that it’s possible the offense, and the defense, have again found their mojo heading into Week 4.

Here is my list of those who nearly sent the Ravens home with a monumental collapse in their carry-on luggage.

It’s yet another week wherein the Cowboys struggled to find offense, but Brandon Aubrey was still Brandon Aubrey. He didn’t get many chances to swing his right boot against the Ravens by virtue of the offensive mistakes (e.g., fumble, penalties, etc.), but he made it count with each opportunity. His afternoon included kicking a 65-yarder right down the middle of the uprights with room to spare, the single longest field goal in the history of the Cowboys’ franchise. There was a time when the offense wasn’t the concern and the kicker was, but that’s flipped in 2024.

It’s probably not a great outing when the punter makes my list. This isn’t a knock whatsoever to Bryan Anger, a weapon in his own right, but it tells you that there was little to no one at a skill position that outplayed the punter against the Ravens. Anger, a Pro Bowler, logged more than 200 yards with his right foot in Week 3, constantly putting Baltimore deep into their own territory to begin drives — including a 62-yard bomb — but it ultimately failed to matter each time, though not by any fault of his own. He’d get plenty of rest in the fourth quarter though, thanks to Dak Prescott and the offense coming alive.

As was the case for the majority of the offense, Prescott wishes he had the first three quarters of play back. He was pressured into oblivion as his offensive line struggled to protect him, mixed with penalties by that same unit that killed drives, but Prescott fought until he couldn’t fight anymore — leading the Cowboys to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. That’s more than what the Cowboys produced in the previous 11 quarters combined, and it showed they may finally be back on track as they get ready for a short week going into the battle with the New York Giants.

It’s not a name you’ll hear often, seeing as he’s mostly relegated to being a special teams ace, but Goodwin will remind you a time or two why he’s still around in Dallas. After finally finding pay dirt, in the fourth quarter, to make it a 16-point affair (the Cowboys weren’t successful on the two-point conversion attempt), it was Goodwin leaping forward on the onside kick to recover it and give Dak Prescott another shot at shrinking the lead further with the clock working against Dallas.

Goodwin’s hard work was rewarded by Prescott and the offense, by the way. The Cowboys’ offense marched down the field on a seven play, 56-yard drive aided by Jalen Brooks on a 24-yard catch and run, punctuating it with a 15-yard touchdown toss to Jalen Tolbert — his first touchdown of the season. It was another failed two-point conversion thereafter, but Tolbert’s touchdown shrunk the lead to a more manageable 10 points with seven minutes remaining and the Cowboys owning all three of their timeouts.

It was a valiant effort by Dowdle, to be honest. He not only started for the second week in a row, but he made it count when he was given the ball. His total yardage doesn’t say much, but what’s also true is that he was averaging 4.5+ yards per carry each time he took a handoff. So what is missing here? Well, the fact he was only asked to carry the ball seven times entering he fourth quarter, largely because the Cowboys were being blown out for a second consecutive week and running the ball would accomplish nothing. Dowdle looked solid, though, and also on his 18-yard burst late in the game that kept the Cowboys alive — leading to a touchdown by KaVontae Turpin.

It’s been something I’ve pleaded to see through the first two weeks (and his first two seasons in Dallas) that hasn’t been unleashed yet, or at least not until the second half against the Ravens. It’s Turpin and his ability to be more than just a dynamic returner, but also to contribute in the passing attack for Prescott and playcaller Mike McCarthy. The Pro Bowler provided not once impact catch, but two, in the waning minutes and the second was a touchdown to cap an 11-yard drive that made it a three-point game. He’s capable of such, so let’s see more of this going forward.

It was tough sledding throughout most of the game for Ferguson. Having returned from his one-game absence due to an MCL sprain, he showed no signs of ailing physically, but was unable to get into a rhythm until the fourth quarter. But when he did, it helped spark the eventual touchdown drives because of the shift in energy provided by the Pro Bowl tight end. On an afternoon where nothing was given and all had to be earned, there was Ferguson earning his.

It’s difficult to sift through the defensive mess and find anyone who stood out in a positive way, but there’s inevitably one or two, and Kendricks makes this list in Week 3. It wasn’t a perfect day for the former First-Team All-Pro, but he did all he could in leading the team with tackles and, on more than one occasion, flying in at points during the third quarter to help the Cowboys get off of the field on third down. He really did try to set the standard on Sunday, but was worn down by the onslaught.

Another defensive player who jumped out at me was Lawrence because, despite being blown out two weeks in a row, it seemed like it was nearly always Lawrence still chugging along and trying to chase down defenders from the backside. He never showed a single molecule of quit, and his film will support his efforts. The moment everyone plays with Lawrence’s level of dedication and tenacity ,on each and every rep, is the moment the Cowboys’ defense will get things turned around.