NFL WEEK 3 PREVIEW: Baltimore Ravens vs Dallas Cowboys

“It’s about beating Baltimore,” if you’re the Dallas Cowboys, who host the Ravens on Sunday for a Week 3 matchup. The Ravens lead the all-time series, 5-1; the Cowboys’ lone win happened back in 2016, a 27-17 dub at home. Kickoff is at 3:25 p.m.

Finishing in the red zone:

Quarterback Dak Prescott said they did better on third downs last game versus the New Orleans Saints, in comparison to when they played the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, and now it’s about getting better in the red zone, where they went 0-3 last week and are just 1-4 on the season, tied for the second-worst red zone touchdown percentage with the Steelers and Seahawks—Prescott said they were able to move the ball down the field, but couldn’t score touchdowns in Week 2, which left “a lot of meat on the bone.”

Stop the run:

The Ravens feature “a dynamic run game,” according to head coach Mike McCarthy, thanks to running back Derrick Henry and QB Lamar Jackson. Dallas cornerback Jourdan Lewis said “you’re playing 11-on-11 at that point with the quarterback running,” so not only do the Cowboys have to deal with stopping Henry, who has nearly 10,000 career rushing yards, but also deal with a dual-threat QB who can beat you with his feet just as well as he can with his arm. Jackson has the third-most rushing yards by a QB all-time, trailing only Cam Newton and Michael Vick, so containing not only him, but also a 9-year vet will pose its challenges.

Watch out for Micah Parsons:

Two-time All-Pro outside linebacker Micah Parsons is quite the threat on the line of scrimmage. He said this Sunday “is a proving game” to show people that the Cowboys can stop the run after giving up 190 rushing yards last Sunday—they’re most in a home game since Week 8 in 2022 when they faced the Chicago Bears and a mobile QB in Justin Fields. He said the most important thing will be “getting [the Ravens] to pass the ball.” It’ll be the first time Parsons will play against the two-time league MVP Jackson in his career.

Taking on the AFC North:

Head Coach Mike McCarthy said that he started having conversations about taking on three of the four members of the AFC North in the first five games, as soon as the schedule came out. Playing against a conference where every member had a winning record at the end of last season is no easy feat. They have a win against the Browns in Week 1, with scores to be decided against the Ravens this Sunday, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5.

What starting a records could mean for both teams:

If the Cowboys go 0-2 at home, pending this Sunday’s result, it would be the fourth time happening since 2000. In each of those seasons, the Cowboys failed to win more than six games and missed the playoffs. If the Ravens go 0-3, they’re playoff hopes are slim—only six teams since the 1970 merger have made the playoffs after starting with that record.