The matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens this Sunday already feels like a must-win game for both teams just two weeks into the season.
Dallas’ record is 1-1 after a week 1 victory on the road in Cleveland followed by a demoralizing home loss to the Saints in week 2. The Ravens are in a more desperate state. They sit at 0-2, opening the season with losses to two AFC East teams (Kansas City and Las Vegas).
A victory will require bold performances from each team, and fans are in for a treat on a day when offenses will rule. Please remember that these are bold predictions, and they are meant to seem far-fetched, yet attainable.
The Teams Combine for 900 Yards
It’s no secret that the two offenses have some playmakers. The Cowboys, led by QB Dak Prescott, has weapons like wide receivers CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and the suddenly viable Jalen Tolbert at his disposal. Not to mention, TE Jake Ferguson should be ready to return from injury.
On the other sideline, QB Lamar Jackson’s stable of weapons includes two very good tight ends: Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. In the backfield is “King” Derrick Henry, with wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman lining up outside.
All of this offensive firepower coupled with the fact that the two defenses have combined to allow an average of over 320 yards per game means there will be plenty of offensive fireworks at AT&T Stadium this Sunday.
The 320 yard average might seem low, but after watching the two defenses in week 2, there is no doubt in my mind that each is worse than the statistics have shown through two weeks. Dallas and Baltimore’s offenses will combine for over 900 yards this weekend.
Jake Ferguson Catches 3 Touchdowns
Speaking of offensive explosions, the Cowboys will likely welcome back one of their top playmakers after a one-week absence. TE Jake Ferguson sprained his MCL and suffered a slight bone bruise versus the Cleveland Browns, but there’s no way he misses a game as big as this.
The last time Ferguson played at home in AT&T Stadium was the playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. All he did was catch 10 passes for 93 yards and three touchdowns.
Dallas missed his presence over the middle of the field last week in the loss to the Saints, but Prescott will be ecstatic to have Ferguson out there running routes versus the Ravens.
Ferguson will be targeted early and often, and he will lead the team in receiving along with hauling in three of Prescott’s passes for touchdowns.
Ravens Surpass 200 Yards Rushing
It seems not much has changed about the Cowboys’ defense when it comes to stopping the run. Despite adding two huge defensive tackles via free agency and trade, Klint Kubiak and the Saints’ offense ran roughshod through the middle of the Cowboys’ defense.
Cowboys’ DC Mike Zimmer had no answer for the Saints’ pin-and-pull rushing attack on the edges either. Alvin Kamara rushed just 15 times, but totaled 120 yards and three touchdowns on the day. That doesn’t even include the damage he did as a receiver out of the backfield.
The Ravens come to town with Derrick Henry, but he is not at the top of the list of the most dynamic rushers in Baltimore’s backfield. You might have heard of a quarterback by the name of Lamar Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP.
Jackson is one of the greatest rushing quarterbacks of all time, and even though the team added Henry, Lamar still leads the Ravens in rushing through two games this season.
The read-option look will be Jackson’s best friend this Sunday, forcing the Cowboys to make a choice between tackling a freight train (Henry) or a bullet train (Jackson). That play also puts pressure on the edges of the Cowboys’ defense, an area they have struggled to defend.
Prediction
As much as I’d like to pick my team to win, after the defensive performance they showed versus the Saints last week, I have to imagine the Ravens’ rushing attack will do worse damage.
It will be an offensive shootout, but the road team will secure their first win of the season, dropping the Cowboys to 0-2 by the score of 34-31.
