Will The Ravens Dodge an 0-3 Start?

The Baltimore Ravens face the Dallas Cowboys for a Week 3 battle at AT&T Stadium (4:25 p.m. ET kickoff). Baltimore has dropped two tight contests to open the season (27-20 at KC & 26- 23 vs. LV), while Dallas is coming off a 44-19 loss at home to New Orleans, following a 33-17 Week 1 win at Cleveland.

Baltimore holds a 5-1 all-time series lead vs. the Cowboys, including a 1-1 mark in the Lone Star State. Under Coach Harbaugh, the Ravens are 3-1 vs. the Cowboys (1-1 in Dallas), with these teams last meeting on a Tuesday night in Baltimore during the 2020 COVID-affected season (Ravens won, 34-17).

The Ravens enter the game as a 1-point road favorite. The game’s over/under number is set at 48 ½.

Tony Lombardi

Who could have expected Game 3 to be a must-win for the Ravens? Yet that’s exactly what Sunday in Dallas will be. (0-3) is a steep hill that few have successfully navigated. Dating back to 1990, just four of 158 teams to start (0-3) make the postseason (2.5%). Just two of those 158 won their division (1.3%) and none won the Super Bowl.

Will the Ravens fall into the (0-3) trap?

• Lamar Jackson will produce 350 yards of offense – 250 by air, 100 by land. Combined with Derek Henry (125) and Justice Hill (35) the Ravens will rack up 260 yards on the ground and over 500 yards of offense in total. And they’ll need every bit of it.

• Isaiah Likely will lead the Ravens with 90 receiving yards followed by Zay Flowers (75) and Mark Andrews (60). Likely and Andrews will hit pay dirt.

• Jackson will be sacked 3 times in the first half, two by Micah Parsons leading to Daniel Faalele’s benching. Patrick Mekari will take over at RG and Roger Rosengarten settles in at RT. Only one sack happens after the break. Andrew Voorhees is the culprit.

• Defensively, the hemorrhaging will continue as Dak Prescott throws for 380 yards and 4 scores. Dallas will be completely one-dimensional on offense, producing just 55 yards on the ground, 30 on a Zeke Elliott run thanks to another missed tackle by Malik Harrison. Go Buckeyes!

• Justin Tucker’s 53-yard field goal in the 4th quarter proves to be the difference in the game.

Ravens 38 Cowboys 34

Rob Shields

This is a must-win. Teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs less than 10% of the time, historically…0-3 is even worse.

For the last season-plus, the Cowboys have struggled defending both west coast style offenses and the running game. Will the Ravens coaches, arguably the reason they are 0-2, be able to figure out what so many other teams have?

New Orleans neutralized Micah Parsons last week with their running game. Will the Ravens follow suit?

Defensively, the Ravens really need to key on one player: Ceedee Lamb. Shut him down and you should be OK.

Both teams are in need of the win, but the Ravens need it more. Henry thought he might be a Cowboy and their lack of a serious offer could give him extra motivation.

I think the more desperate team wins but if they don’t, expect more (and deserved) bashing of Harbaugh and the coaching staff because it will likely be them again as the biggest reason for the loss.

Ravens 27 Cowboys 20

Tanner George

It’s early on, but if the Ravens don’t win this game, their hopes of even making the wild card will be on life support.

This team has shown flashes of potential over their first two contests, but they’ve failed to do anything consistently well, which is a big part of the reason they’re sitting at 0-2. The Cowboys, who were elite last year, didn’t exactly look good last week against the Saints, so this looks like it’s gonna be an ugly one.

I’m very concerned about the offensive line, especially with Micah Parsons lining up for Big D. Similar to the opener, I bet we’ll see a lot of quick game action from Monken, but I expect Derrick Henry’s usage to tick up as the passing game sputters. The defense, on the other hand, needs to keep the big plays under control, because Jackson and the offense haven’t proven they’re able to match them in the early going.

Despite Dallas having a top-tier passing offense, I expect this one to be a slopfest in Big D. Both teams will commit turnovers and the scoring won’t pick up until the second quarter, where the Ravens take a 6-3 lead into the half. Dak will march the Cowboys down the field for a TD on his first drive, but Jackson and Henry will match with one of their own to hold onto a slim 13-10 lead. Each team will trade a pair of field goals in the final period, with the Ravens escaping Jerry’s World with a 19-16 victory.

That is, if they hold on this time…

Ravens 19 Cowboys 16

Brennan Stewart

If there’s anything that last Sunday proved, it’s that these bold predictions will start to be a lot harder to land. 0-2 isn’t the start that any of us expected, and against a team like Dallas, 0-3 isn’t farfetched, either.

Fortunately, Lamar Jackson carries an impressive track record against NFC opponents, holding a 20-1 as a starter.

The key to this game, as the key to Baltimore’s last game should have been, is running the ball. Dallas’ defense appears to carry a trend that’s opposite of Baltimore’s defense, and that trend is having what’s been a weaker run defense than secondary. Last week, the Cowboys allowed Alvin Kamara to average 5.8 yards per carry for 115 yards, as well as three rushing touchdowns.

If John Harbaugh/Todd Monken want the fanbase to earn back their respect, Derrick Henry will receive the most carries he’s had in a game this season (at least 19).

The pass-game will still have issues with Micah Parsons looking to collapse the pocket this week, and Daniel Faalele won’t look any better. No. 8 will realize this early and showcase the RPO with Henry that fans have dreamed of. He reaches his highest rushing total, at least 123 yards.

Ravens 27 Cowboys 17

Nick Polinsky

This is a game that the Ravens gotta have. Since 1990, 279 teams have started 0-2. Of those 279, 32 of them have made the playoffs. The odds are already stacked against the Ravens, but falling to 0-3 would slice them even further.

The Cowboys were exploited on the ground last week by Alvin Kamara and the Saints. Kamara scored four times and picked up 115 yards. Granted, the Saints o-line has the upper hand over the Ravens, but Henry should still have an opportunity for a big game this week.

Handling the main Dallas playmakers on both sides of the ball may be an issue for the Ravens. Ceedee Lamb is one of the most dangerous pass catchers in the league, and Micah Parsons is a game wrecker. A week after Davante Adams tore up the Ravens’ secondary, it will be interesting to see how they’ll deal with Lamb.

Parsons is my main concern. He is an absolute game changer and premier pass rushers have already caused problems for the Ravens this year. It will be interesting to see how the right side of the o-line handles Parsons. Expect plenty of double teams and tight end chips on Parsons’ side.

The key will be to run Henry early and often. Henry gets stronger as the game goes on, and even though the rushing results may not be rewarding early, those carries wear down the defense over the course of the game. The Ravens will be able to close the fourth quarter with effective rushing, and they’ll pick up their first win of the season on the road.

Ravens 31 Cowboys 20

Kevin McNelis

As lost as the Ravens have looked in the first two weeks, it really isn’t any great mystery what they need to do to reverse their fortunes. Both games have been close, to the point of being very winnable, and a few tweaks could make them among the class of the league. Heck, I wrote a piece earlier this week about how they can fix things.

OTL: Mr. Fix It – Addressing the Ravens’ Problems

Going into this one, though, my hopes are not high.

Blasphemy, I know, to pick an NFC opponent to beat Lamar Jackson, but truly, the stubbornness of the first two weeks has been excruciating, and until this coaching staff can swallow their pride, we’re going to see the same issues rear their ugly heads.

— In Weeks 1 and 2, the primary wide receivers have eaten the secondary alive. Granted, Davante Adams largely benefited from coverage playing deeper late in the game, but I expect CeeDee Lamb to blow them up the way they’re playing right now. He goes 100+ yards with a touchdown… UNLESS you see Nate Wiggins get the green light to play.

— Everyone’s focus is on how Micah Parsons is likely licking his chops looking at the right side of the O-line. I expect he plays well, but I think this is a game that DeMarvion Overshown stamps his name against the Ravens front. He’ll blanket Mark Andrews most of the game and record a sack on Lamar as he comes up to provide pressure.

— Baltimore falls into a double-digit hole, clawing their way back after some late-game heroics from Zay Flowers and Isaiah Likely once again. Even so, they fall short of their comeback attempt.

This week has been filled with hard questions, and a win would do a lot to stop them. Prove me wrong, boys.

Cowboys 34 Ravens 30

Chad Racine

I may be one of only a handful that’s not in full panic mode about the 0-2 start. While it’s certainly not a good thing, not all 0-2 starts are equal. However if the Ravens lose this one, the hole may be too deep to dig out of. With both teams coming off of disappointing losses, there will be no lack of motivation for either team. Like many others, my biggest worry is still the offensive line and Micah Parsons could very well wreck the game just like Maxx Crosby did last week.

— Parsons will have a sack forced fumble that the Ravens will recover.

— Dak Prescott will throw for two touchdowns and two interceptions

— Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Williams will record the interceptions.

— Oweh, Jones and Van Noy will all record a sack.

— Lamar will throw for one touchdown and no interceptions

— Derrick Henry will get rolling as the game goes along and go for over 100 yards and two touchdowns.

— Mark Andrews will have the touchdown reception.

Ravens 24 Cowboys 21

Darin McCann

I’m a little hesitant to jump on the Ravens this week, but I watched Dallas’ Week 2 game last night, and I just feel like the Ravens should win this one — even if I think they have a lot of work to do to get back up to playing good football.

Dallas doesn’t have a lot of playmakers outside of Ceedee Lamb. If the Ravens can keep him from going nuts — a big “if” at this point of the season, I understand — I just don’t see other options for the Cowboys to make plays. Their offensive line is weak, their running back is 137 years old, and looks like it, and there just aren’t many weapons in the pass game.

On the other side, Dallas is bad up the middle, and struggles to set an edge against the run. This feels like a game where the Ravens should put up 200 on the ground, and the air, and hopefully cash in when they get to the red zone.

• Micah Parsons might have 11 sacks, and Lamb might go for 300 yards, and the Ravens should still win this one. A few predictions:
• Derrick Henry breaks 100 yards and gets a touchdown.
• Lamar Jackson combines for 370 yards, and is responsible for three touchdowns.
• Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo combine for three sacks.

Ravens 30 Cowboys 19

Colin Russell

Both the Cowboys and Ravens are coming off a brutal loss in their own respective ways. The Ravens of old showed back up blowing another fourth quarter lead against an inferior opponent. The Cowboys are coming off a game where they got absolutely bludgeoned by the New Orleans Saints. Because of that, this game feels like a playoff game for both teams, as whoever comes out on the losing side will have a long week, or season ahead.

• Last week, the Saints racked up 190 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground. On top of that, the Cowboys just placed starting defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on IR with a wrist injury. This is a great opportunity for the Ravens to get the running game back on track. The Ravens will lean on the run game, which will lead to productive days by both Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson on the ground.
• The Ravens defensive dront has picked right back where they left off last season, but the linebackers and secondary have let them down. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Kyle Hamilton as he hasn’t looked like his All-Pro self to start this year. If he can get right, the defense will excel. If not, we could be in for another long afternoon.
• Parsons will make his plays, but I believe Lamar Jackson and the offense get the run game going which will allow the Ravens to control this game. The defense will right the ship and make the stop they need to close the game and the Ravens will notch their first win of the season

Ravens 24 Cowboys 20

John Hughey

Who would’ve thought by Week 3, we’d see a Ravens Cowboys matchup that could be considered a must-win for both teams? Dallas comes in after an embarrassing 44-19 home loss to the Saints, while Baltimore looks to rebound after yet another 4th quarter collapse. Both teams are expected to come out hungry and ready for a bounceback, hyping this up as the game of the week.

— Todd Monken schemes up more Play-Action, an area the Cowboys struggle defensively, leading to an Isaiah Likely touchdown

— Derrick Henry finds the end zone for his third week in a row, exploiting a struggling Cowboys interior defensive line

— Roger Rosengarten gets serious playing time at RT, limiting Micah Parsons to one sack on the afternoon

— Marlon Humphrey has caught some serious heat amongst Ravens fans, following his Week 2 performance. Humphrey regains the confidence of the fans, holding his receivers to under 25 yards in coverage

Ravens 27 Cowboys 17