The Baltimore Ravens’ offensive identity was crystal obvious when they played the Dallas Cowboys in December 2020. With their run game, the Ravens bludgeoned the outmatched Cowboys, scoring two touchdowns and 294 yards on 37 rushes in a 34-17 victory. With 3,071 running yards and 555 rushing attempts, the 2020 Ravens were well on their way to taking the lead in the NFL by that point.
The Ravens have little desire to resume their very run-oriented offensive strategy. Right now, their offensive is trying to find its own identity.
With an average of 417.5 yards per game through two weeks, Baltimore leads the league in total offense. The Ravens are sixth in terms of running yards (168.0) and fourth in terms of throwing yards (249.5). They have struggled to score, especially in the latter stages of games when points are crucial.
“What do we want our identity to be? A team that executes at a high level, doesn’t shoot itself in the foot with penalties and execution,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Thursday. “Our guys will play physical. Our guys come to play every week. We have to do a great job as coaches of putting our players in the best position to be successful and then going on the field and executing at a high level.
“Irrespective of what personnel is out there, we want to be able to run it when we need to run it, throw it when we need to throw it, and we have the capability of doing that. Where we’re headed is to find that. We’re certainly more than capable of it. We’ve seen it. Now, we just have to put it all together, because we’re moving the football. We have opportunities out there, but we have to collectively execute at a high level.”
An uneven offense is only one of many reasons why the Ravens enter their Sunday game at AT&T Stadium 0-2 for the first time since 2015. They have been successful rushing the ball at times, such as in the third quarter of their 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. They have also experienced successful drives in which they depended on the passing game. In the NFL, Lamar Jackson has attempted the fifth-most passes.
However, the Ravens offense has struggled to find a rhythm and gain momentum as a collective. They feel that by receiving penalties, failing tasks, and performing poorly, they are holding themselves back. The main cause of the issues has been a faltering offensive line. Jackson stated on Wednesday that he thinks the Ravens are about to have a breakthrough.
Sunday, their opponent, is not without its problems. During the Cowboys’ humiliating 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints the previous week, their defense gave up 432 yards and 7.7 yards per play. The first six possessions for the Saints resulted in touchdowns. The Ravens offense is trying to find some form of consistency as the Cowboys defense is searching for answers.
“You want to be known for something. What are you good at? What do they need to stop? What are they saying that they have to defend against you for your offense?” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said this week. “At the same time, you don’t want them to line up and know what you’re doing every single play. Both of those values are important. I don’t think they contradict each other. I think those are things you have to find.”
The search continues in Dallas.
1. How crucial is Sunday’s victory for the Ravens if they wish to have realistic expectations of making the playoffs? In NFL history, teams have only made the playoffs six times out of a possible thirty-three starts. Six teams in all, none of them have won the Super Bowl. The Houston Texans in 2018 were the latest club to make it to the playoffs after starting 0–3; nevertheless, they were eliminated in the wild-card round. Even while the Ravens’ season is not finished if they lose on Sunday, past performance indicates how difficult their task would become. In Week 3 of the NFL season, this is about as close to a must-win match as it gets.
2. Harbaugh’s ability to lead his squad through hardship and maintain concentration on the current game rather than the bigger picture is one of his coaching talents. There is a growing sense of hostility surrounding the team going into this game. It is likely the most criticism and scrutiny Harbaugh has ever had this early in the season. Selecting the first offensive lineman has always been a contentious decision. Harbaugh’s use of challenges and game management have also improved. After losing two timeouts last week due to unsuccessful challenges, Harbaugh’s record on challenges is now 2-for-10 since 2022 and 0-for-5 since the beginning of 2023. Owner Steve Bisciotti is the only one who has the authority to put Harbaugh under investigation.
3. Harbaugh made hints about possible offensive line modifications this week. The Ravens can choose. They may start rookie second-round pick Roger Rosengarten, who has rotated with veteran Patrick Mekari at right tackle. Mekari or Ben Cleveland might take the place of struggling right guard Daniel Faalele. Josh Jones, a seasoned player, may start at either guard position. They might even switch to a rotation of guards. Although Harbaugh and Monken maintain that the present team has improved, it is difficult to believe that Faalele in particular has a lengthy leash.
4. Derrick Henry was open about his desire to sign a free agent contract with the Cowboys. In the off-season, he resides in Dallas and is surrounded by family and friends. Once the Cowboys let Tony Pollard go, he knew they were in the market for a running back. However, the Cowboys did not give signing him top priority. Henry must have seen how the Saints’ Alvin Kamara torched Dallas’ defense last week for 180 all-purpose yards and four scores if he needed any more inspiration. When the Ravens started getting Henry outside and pushing him further to the left last Sunday, it seemed like they had hit upon something with him. It seems like he needs 20–25 touches to win this game.
5. The offensive line of the Cowboys has been disorganized, which is another element working in Henry’s favor. Dallas’ Jordan Phillips, Linval Joseph, and Mazi Smith are among the NFL’s lowest-graded defensive tackles according to Pro Football Focus. Smith is battling a back problem, and Phillips is currently on injured reserve. Mike Zimmer, the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, spoke assuredly about fixing problems this week. Still, it is a more serious issue than it is now shown if the Dallas interior overwhelms Baltimore’s guards.
6. In recognition of running back Justice Hill’s increasing value to the team, the Ravens awarded Hill a two-year, $6 million contract extension on Friday. He has surpassed Henry after two weeks, 78-67. That more accurately reflects the frequency with which the Ravens have used their two-minute offense, third-and-mediums, or third-and-longs. Because of his skills as a receiver and pass protector, Hill is kept on the field in those circumstances. The Ravens would be fine with seeing a bit less of Hill on Sunday, despite their intense love for him. In other words, the Cowboys edge rushers Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence would have less opportunities to go upfield and pose a threat to Jackson if the Ravens rarely found themselves in third-and-long situations. The Ravens are awful.
We have signed RB @jhill21_ to a two-year extension‼️
Congrats @jhill21_ 💜 pic.twitter.com/LYmKeiFoUt
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 20, 2024
7. In Week 1 and Week 2, the Ravens had trouble stopping Chris Jones and Maxx Crosby. They are now up against Parsons, one of the most disruptive players in the league. All five of the Ravens’ offensive lineman almost certainly will have to face Parsons at some time since Zimmer has allowed him to select his own opponents. In his 52 career games, Parsons has recorded 41 1/2 sacks, seven forced fumbles, and even hinted on his podcast this week that he could be spying on Jackson. He will make his plays, but the Ravens must figure out a way to stop him from completely ruining the game. It would be a pleasure to see him tackle Henry, pursue Jackson around the field, and support the Baltimore run game.
8. Stopping the Dak Prescott-CeeDee Lamb connection presents a significant task for the Ravens’ 32nd-ranked pass defense, which allowed Rashee Rice and Davante Adams to surpass the 100-yard mark. It would be fascinating to watch how Lamb squares up with defensive coordinator Zach Orr following a week of criticism regarding his lack of effort in stopping Adams. Following their 10-point deficit against the Raiders in the fourth quarter, Baltimore’s proud defense underwent a great deal of introspection this week. The entire week, coaches and players discussed how they are not playing up to the team’s defensive standards. To try to work things out, the players met more often than normal. The Cowboys under Prescott will be a good challenge.
9. Although Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is sick of talking about his problems with field goals longer than fifty yards, the subject had to be brought up this week. Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey had made all 13 of his attempts from 50 or more yards to begin his career; in contrast, Tucker had missed two attempts this year and had only made one of his previous seven attempts from beyond 50. With an 89.9% conversion rate, Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Due to his lack of 100 attempts, Aubrey is ineligible for the list. But he is hit 44 out of 46 field goals. A very strong Dallas special teams corps is led by Aubrey and return specialist KaVontae Turpin, who scored on returns in Week 1. The Ravens,
10. The Ravens are a squad in good health. The greatest worry is cornerback Nate Wiggins, who was involved in a car accident during the week and missed last Sunday’s game. However, his heightened level of engagement during the week is encouraging. One of the Ravens’ busiest special-team players, cornerback Ka’dar Hollman, is expected to be elevated from the practice squad. One of their options is to use the second elevation on Chris Collier or John Kelly, the third running back. Wide receiver Devontez Walker, offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu and Nick Samac, outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, and defensive backs T.J. Tampa and Beau Brade are the top inactive prospects for the game.
Prediction
Cowboys 23, Ravens 20
After falling behind 0–2, the Ravens appear to realize how important this game is. The players made the appropriate comments about staying calm and concentrated on winning 1-0. Those in attendance reported that this week’s practices were focused and energetic. But in order to prevail away from home against a strong foe, you must control the opposition’s best players, limit errors, and step up in crucial situations. Early in the season, the Ravens have had difficulty in each of those three areas. It will be difficult to trust them in these situations unless they demonstrate otherwise.
(Photo of Derrick Henry and Tyler Linderbaum: Rob Carr / Getty Images)
