ARLINGTON — This season is three weeks old and the Cowboys have a two-game losing streak.
The Cowboys were manhandled for the majority of their 28-25 loss to the Ravens on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium, their second consecutive loss. A late rally by the Cowboys against a Ravens team that’s struggled to close out games made everything closer. This is the Cowboys’ second consecutive loss at home, and taking away the comeback, it wasn’t even close. After a 16-game home winning streak, the Cowboys have now lost their last three home games.
To review: The playoff loss to the Packers. A loss in the home opener to the Saints. And now the loss to the Ravens.
In a game of desperation, the Ravens were 0-2 coming in and handled their business except for the fourth quarter when they gave up 19 points. This Cowboys team has all sorts of problems, and the fans expressed themselves with boos throughout the day.
“I don’t like the outcome of the last two ballgames,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We were disjointed out there a lot in all phases of the ball. But at the end, we did something there we can build on. You got to think we can play better than the way we played most of the game out there today.”
Here are five thoughts on Cowboys-Ravens:
Let’s do the math
The Cowboys are still mathematically eligible for the postseason. However, the ability to make the playoffs after a 1-2 start has a low percentage. According to FiveThirtyEight, NFL teams that have started 1-2 have made the postseason 32% of the time since the NFL went to a 17-game season. Now it doesn’t mean the season is over, but the Cowboys will play two of their next three games on the road. The Cowboys will visit the New York Giants on Thursday on a short week, then there’s another road game at Pittsburgh. The three-game stretch before the bye week concludes with a home game against their new rival, the Detroit Lions. The season isn’t over but an interesting portion of the schedule is forthcoming for the Cowboys.
Offense’s problems continue
It’s more than the running game now. The Cowboys’ offense as a whole has struggled. Receiver CeeDee Lamb was targeted just three times in the first half and showed some frustration after an incomplete pass in the end zone by slamming both hands to the ground. The running game produced 51 yards with the same committee approach we’ve seen the first three weeks of the season. It’s probably time to see Dalvin Cook against the Giants. The Cowboys gained 412 total offensive yards, mostly while throwing the ball in a desperate comeback attempt, and were booed numerous times throughout the day. One of the questionable play calls was a first-half dump-off pass from Dak Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott. The ball was behind Elliott and landed incomplete, prompting boos. At one point in the third quarter, the Ravens had 228 rushing yards and the Cowboys had just 182 offensive yards. Prescott completed 28 of 51 passes for 379 yards with two touchdowns. The passing game, like the running game, has no flow to it. Just moving in mud. The late rally saw Prescott score on a 1-yard keeper and throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. You wonder where that was for three quarters.
Stopping Lamar and Derrick
Well, the Cowboys couldn’t stop the running game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson dominated with run-pass option plays, and running back Derrick Henry controlled things with runs off the edge and inside. When the long afternoon was over, the Ravens had 274 rushing yards. Over the last two weeks, the Cowboys run defense has given up 464 yards on the ground.
“Right now, we’re as low as s---,” Micah Parsons said after the loss. “Everyone has to stay strong.”
Rookies look like rookies
The Cowboys touted their rookies as being ready for the moment. That didn’t occur Sunday. The rookies committed some mistakes in the loss. Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford was flagged for a false start on a third-and-1 play on the first series of the game, and he was also penalized for a holding call in the third quarter. Cornerback Caelen Carson badly missed a tackle on receiver Nelson Agholor leading to a 56-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter. Carson rebounded later in the game with a couple of good open-field tackles. Rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton was penalized for holding late in the first half that wiped out a pass interference call in the end zone that would have given the Cowboys the ball at the 1.
Defense has problems, too
While discussing the offense’s problems, you can’t ignore the defense. It was a pitiful performance by the defense, which allowed 456 total yards. Late in the fourth quarter, the defense was able to get the ball back for the offense but couldn’t kick the Ravens off the field in the end. Jackson’s 10-yard run on a keeper was the clincher with two minutes to go. The run defense has continued to have its troubles, as mentioned. But the inability to control the line of scrimmage is a problem that’s lasted for consecutive games. The Ravens didn’t really challenge the Cowboys’ secondary. The front seven has massive issues. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said he would fix things. If anything, things have gotten worse. He moved linebacker DeMarvion Overshown into the starting lineup after he had 18 snaps against the Saints last week. The Ravens, without doing anything the Cowboys haven’t seen before, had no problems running the ball. The Cowboys were pushed around all day up front, and it’s no secret where the weaknesses are.
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