DALLAS — We're only in Week 3 of the season but the Cowboys are facing the first crossroads on this year's journey.
Their historically inept defensive performance against the Saints (did Alvin Kamara just score another TD?) raised red flags about new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's defense, especially defending the run. And now, here come the run-heavy Ravens come to town with quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry licking their chops after watching the Cowboys game tape against New Orleans.
Here we go with "5 Things to Watch" vs the Ravens:
What time do the Dallas Cowboys play?
- Time: Sunday, Sept. 22 at 3:25 p.m. (CST) / 4:25 p.m. EST
- Where: AT&T Stadium
- Opponent: Baltimore Ravens
5 Things to watch for Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens
1. Defensive Rebound
Giving up six straight touchdowns is as bad as it gets on any level of football, much less the NFL. So, Mike Zimmer's crew is under the harshest spotlight. Zimmer fell on the sword, saying he didn't do a good job of preparing his defenders to face the Saints rushing attack. Micah Parsons blamed a lack of effort and doubled down on that sentiment during the week. Cowboys fans have to hope Parsons is right because if it's a talent issue, the problems we saw against the Saints will only persist.
I expect the Cowboys will provide much better effort Sunday. Now, we get to see if that's enough. Expect the Ravens to match that effort, though, coming off an uncharacteristic 0-2 start. Baltimore leans heavily on the run game, running the ball more than any other team in the league over the last several years. The Cowboys will be getting a bit of a break with the Ravens offensive line showing some shakiness, and they've yet to settle on a clear-cut starting five.
The Cowboys have their own issues, on the interior of the defensive line, especially. The team placed defensive tackle Jordan Philips (wrist) on injured reserve, meaning he'll miss four weeks. Philips came out and said he wasn't hurt, creating a head-scratching situation. Defensive tackle Mazi Smith (back) missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday putting his availability Sunday in question. The Cowboys plucked defensive lineman Carlos Watkins from the Commanders practice squad, but he's a player the Cowboys didn't think enough of to keep after he was on the team's roster in 2021 and '22.
It feels like the Cowboys are throwing things against the wall, after being relatively inactive in free agency, now they have to hope something sticks.
2. Overshown expects to spy on Jackson
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown first two games as a Cowboys have been vastly different. In his debut he showed signs of being a game-wrecker, impactful in the run game and a heat-seeking missile when putting pressure on the quarterback. Against the Saints though, his snap count was down and he was hardly seen at all.
Against Jackson and the Ravens, Overshown tipped the Cowboys hand, saying his role should look more like what we saw against the Browns when he was assigned to keep an eye on DeShaun Watson many times. When Jackson breaks the pocket on pass plays, he becomes one of the most lethal forces in the NFL and he's got a pair of MVP award to prove it. Overshown will have his hands full, but says he'll rely on his instinct and speed to slow down the Ravens uber-talented quarterback.
3. Running back by committee
The Cowboys committee approach to running the football hasn't provide much pop to the offense. The longest rush in the first two games has been 12 yards and that was by receiver CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys are in the bottom third of the league (25th) in ground game production. Mike McCarthy says the Cowboys just didn't run the ball enough because they were down early against the Saints. I'd argue that early in that game before the score got out of hand, the rushing attack showed next-to-zero impact.
So, will the committee grow by one? Is Dalvin Cook ready to make his Cowboys debut? With what we've seen so far my take is why not? It couldn't get worse. Head coach Mike McCarthy was non-committal on the issue, saying they're practicing all of the backs and want them all ready to go. Earlier in the week Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated that Cook wasn't in the plan this week. Let's see how it plays out.
4. Dak's impact
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott hasn't been awful or great so far this season. He didn't have to do much in the opening win against the Browns, and the defense put him in a position where he couldn't do too much in the loss to New Orleans.
With their run game struggling and the Ravens secondary showing some vulnerability early this season, the Cowboys should unleash Prescott and try to allow him to be aggressive and dictate the action. But with so many teams employing conservative 2-deep zone play, with safeties playing deep trying to keep everything in front of them, Prescott will have to remain patient.
He'll have to walk a fine line and says one of the way he can add more spice to the offense is running with the ball more. He says he'll look for opportunities to avoid negative plays and also get outside of the pocket to make big pass plays down the field. With everything going on around him, the Cowboys need Prescott to play like the highest paid player in the league, which he is.
5. Leave it to Aubrey
There's one gleaming bright spot in the Cowboys uneven start to the season - kicker Brandon Aubrey. He's made all eight of his field goal attempts so far this season, with three of them being from 50-plus. His 52-yarder in the first quarter against the Saints set a new NFL record. Aubrey is the first kicker in league history to make 13 straight from 50 or more yards to begin a career.
If the Cowboys can keep the game close enough that it comes down to Aubrey in the clutch, they should be confident that he will connect with the pressure on.
More Dallas Cowboys coverage: