Arlington, Texas— Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens delivered a decisive response to their first 0-2 start since before he became their franchise quarterback.
The two-time MVP stepped up late in the game, making crucial plays to ensure the Ravens held on to a 28-25 victory against the Dallas Cowboys. Derrick Henry shone with 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Jackson contributed two scores as well, leading Baltimore to their first win of the season.
Baltimore (1-2) jumped out to an impressive start, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives and taking a commanding 28-6 lead. However, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys (1-2) made a late-game push, benefiting from a rare onside kick recovery.
As the Ravens were nearly forced to surrender the ball with only a three-point lead, Jackson delivered a pivotal completion to Zay Flowers. He then sealed the victory with a clever fake on a 10-yard run, wrapping up a game in which the Ravens amassed 274 rushing yards—the most allowed by the Cowboys since 2020.
After a trip to the AFC Championship last season, the Ravens were determined to avoid an 0-3 start, which has historically made playoff contention exceedingly difficult. “Every game is a big game for us because we’re trying to get somewhere,” Jackson stated. “We need to win these games to get to the playoffs and ultimately the Super Bowl.”
Meanwhile, Dallas have struggled defensively, allowing 120 points over their last three home contests, including a wild-card loss to Green Bay that snapped their 16-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium. Brandon Aubrey nailed a near-record 65-yard field goal, just shy of the NFL record held by Baltimore’s Justin Tucker.
The Cowboys’ late touchdowns came too little, too late. Prescott managed a 1-yard sneak midway through the fourth quarter, and Jalen Tolbert caught a 15-yard touchdown pass, narrowing the score to 28-18. After missing a second 2-point conversion, Dallas attempted another onside kick, but the Ravens’ Flowers recovered.
Despite Jackson’s impressive performance—going 12 of 15 for 182 yards with a touchdown pass and 87 rushing yards—the Ravens faced a late surge from the Cowboys. Prescott finished with 379 yards and two touchdowns but received little support from a struggling running game, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh praised Jackson’s resilience, saying, “Lamar was just phenomenal. We didn’t really want to get to that situation, but we did, and we came through.”
With this win, the Ravens aim to build momentum moving forward, while the Cowboys must regroup after suffering consecutive home losses for the first time since 2020. Prescott urged his teammates not to dwell on the defeat, emphasizing the need to prepare for the next challenge.
The Ravens now look ahead to continuing their ascent, while the Cowboys search for answers to their defensive woes.
UP NEXT:
Ravens: Home against Buffalo next Sunday night.
Cowboys: Plays the Giants in their first NFC East game Thursday night at MetLife.
