Ravens vs. Cowboys: MVP, 8 Winners and 4 Losers

The Ravens had it all well and wrapped up until it wasn’t. But in the end, they won.

The Ravens cut it far too close and the panic meter skyrocketed as they began to crumble. The Dallas Cowboys stormed back from a 28-6 deficit to make it a three-point game, but on their final chance to secure the win, they came through, winning 28-25.

With the win they are now 1-2 on the season, and at worst will be tied for second place in the AFC North. Here is today’s MVP, along with Winners and Losers.

MVP: RB Derrick Henry

This may not be remembered as the Derrick Henry game, but it was. Henry trounced the Cowboys for 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, the most by a Ravens running back in the Lamar Jackson era. Henry produced four of the Ravens’ 10 biggest plays as he rushed for 29 yards (touchdown), 26 yards and 13 yards, along with a 23-yard reception on a screen pass from Jackson.

Winners

Offensive Line: The blocking was under fire all week. The coaching staff, too. But the Ravens stuck with their same lineup as the first two weeks and it produced sound protection for Jackson the majority of the evening and paved the way for 274 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with Jackson not being sacked.

Lamar Jackson: Sunday’s game was another instance of Jackson’s dominance. He slashed through the Cowboys’ defense for 87 yards and a touchdown and paired it with going 12-of-15 passing for 182 yards and a touchdown. His final completion, a nine-yard dot to wide receiver Zay Flowers on 3rd & 6, was the most important as it gained the offense a first down and all but sealed the win. Two plays later, he rushed for the quintessential first down and knelt it out for the victory.

Rashod Bateman: The targets were few for Bateman but he finished with three receptions and his first touchdown of the season. How open he was had Jackson celebrating after his throw and before Bateman secured six.

Nelson Agholor: Just one catch on the night but it was the longest play of the game and helped to boost the Ravens up 14-3 early in the first quarter. Agholor’s playmaking was a thing of beauty as he shook a defender and ripped off 51 yards after the catch. According to NextGenStats, it was the third-most YAC above expected this season, as he gained 48 YACOE.

Kyle Hamilton: Today was the first game of the 2024 season we saw Hamilton look like the 2023 First Team All-Pro safety. He roamed the line of scrimmage and impacted plays. In all, Hamilton tied Cowboys’ Eric Kendricks for most tackles in the game (12) and buzzed throughout the afternoon.

Kyle Van Noy: Two fractures in his orbital bone 17 days ago hasn’t slowed him. If anything, it’s empowered him? Either way, Van Noy added two sacks on the day, the same as last week against the Las Vegas Raiders. He’s well on his way to a double-digit season.

Jordan Stout: After an ugly fourth quarter punt against the Raiders, Stout bounced back with big punts that helped keep the Cowboys from easy yardage. In the fourth quarter, his punt may have traveled “just” 31 yards, but it was pinned at the nine-yard line and could have been more had the coverage unit successfully tracked the ball when it bounced inside the five-yard line.

Nate Wiggins: A seismic forced fumble altered the game early and may have been an early deciding factor in this contest. The Cowboys were on the doorstep of the end zone. Instead, he punched the ball out from wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, denying them from an earlier comeback bid.

Losers

Fourth Quarter Ravens: It’s come to a point that no lead feels safe in the fourth quarter. The Ravens were up by 22 points and yet, they won by just three. The Ravens have to solve their issues. In the fourth quarter they become undisciplined, underwhelming and teams are capitalizing.

Discipline: The Ravens — according to the NFL officials — are not playing within the boundaries of the rules. They’re the most penalized team by volume and it’s costing them games. And, unless they solve it, they will lose more down the stretch due to their infractions.

Coaching: Second half scoring, penalty issues and keeping a lead are all things coaches must know how to do. Keeping the players locked in and making play calls that will be effective in the third and fourth quarters are pertinent to their success. The Ravens won, and it should be celebrated. But that excitement and joy will be overcast by how they won, or more on how they didn’t lose.

Justin Tucker: A 48-yard miss is quite normal in the NFL. Though, this season it feels abnormal with how kicking has become unbridled in 2024. It doesn’t help Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey blasted a 65-yard field goal early in the game to put that kind of expectation on kicking. But for Tucker, it’s noteworthy.

In Tucker’s career, his average miss distance is 51.7 yards (not including 2024 stats). He’s the only kicker to average over 50 yards for his miss distances among those with 100 career attempts. He’s hit 89.47% of his career field goals from 40-49 yards.

Tucker’s accuracy in 50+ has been the talk of the season. And, this kick was just two yards closer, so it’s still a lengthy kick. But the expectation for the Ravens, fans, and himself is that he should make the kick. Hopefully, he finds his tracks again and gets back to knocking them through the uprights.