The Ravens were staring at another potential fourth-quarter collapse that would have devastated their playoff hopes.
However, quarterback Lamar Jackson picked up a key first down after the two-minute warning that sealed a 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Ravens led, 28-6, before the Cowboys’ furious fourth-quarter rally.
“I thought everybody really got locked in on trying to get the job done,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Everybody understood what needed to be done. We were trying to get stops, and we were focusing on that. And then when we got back out there, we were trying to end the game with the offense on the field.”
Running back Derrick Henry had his breakout game for the Ravens, finishing with 151 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.
“We got rolling … we feel like we could have done more, and there’s still more out there for us and still so much more in store,” Henry said. “We’ve just got to stay locked in, keep working, [and] keep making each other [better] each and every day. We feel like there’s still more out there. It’s a great win today. [I’m] glad to be able to get this win. Definitely ready to look forward to next week and get better next week and put it together again next week.”
Jackson threw for 182 yards with a touchdown and ran for a 9-yard score. He became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to reach 30 rushing touchdowns within the first seven years of a career, joining Josh Allen (55), Cam Newton (54), Jalen Hurts (42) and Kordell Stewart (33).
After struggling for three quarters, the Cowboys made it close in the fourth quarter. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott scored a 1-yard sneak with 8:53 left in the game to cut the margin to 29-12.
Dallas then recovered an onside kick and capitalized with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert that cut the lead to 28-18 with 7:07 left.
The Ravens blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in last week’s 26-23 loss to the Raiders. Prescott created more stress with a 16-yard touchdown to KaVontae Turpin to pull within 28-25 with 2:53 remaining.
The Cowboys used up their timeouts, and a 10-yard run by Jackson after the two-minute warning sealed the win.
Prescott was 28-for-51 for 379 yards with two touchdowns.
The Ravens entered the game with the NFL’s 32nd-ranked pass defense and held Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to 67 yards on four receptions.
The Ravens (1-2) finished with 272 yards rushing. It was the fourth time in seven games Baltimore ran for 250 or more yards against the Cowboys.
The Ravens started the game with a couple of backups making big plays. Justice Hill had a 17-yard run and tight end Charlier Kolar caught a 30-yard pass deep into Dallas territory. Jackson finished the drive with a 9-yard scoring run.
On the ensuing drive, Brandon Aubrey made a 65-yard field goal — 1-yard shy of the NFL record set by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker in 2021.
Jackson made another big play, completing a 56-yard pass to Nelson Agholor, who made the initial defender miss to turn the short pass into a long gain. That set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Henry for a 14-3 lead with 2:41 left in the first quarter.
Henry is the first player in franchise history to post a rushing touchdown in each of the first three games of a Ravens career.
The Ravens extended the lead when Jackson threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Rashod Bateman. Aubrey made 51-yard field in the closing seconds and the Ravens led, 21-6, at the half.
Henry continued to make big plays and scored on a 26-yard run on the first possession of the third quarter.
Same offensive line, but better performance: Harbaugh had hinted there could be changes on the offensive line this week. However, the Ravens had the same starters as the previous two games — left tackle Ronnie Stanley, left guard Andrew Vorhees, center Tyler Linderbaum, right guard Daniel Faalele, and right tackle Patrick Mekari. The offensive line had its best game, protecting Jackson and creating lanes for Henry.
“I was pleased,” Harbaugh said. “What made me stick with it was they were doing so well. Running the ball, pass protection – they were doing a really good job of blocking. They took care of their pass rushers, especially Micah [Parsons] – they did a great job there. So, I just felt like there was no reason to make a change there. We had the possibility of rotating some guys in, but [the starting offensive linemen] were playing too well to do that.”
Van Noy leads sack attack: For the second straight week. Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy finished with two sacks. Van Noy is playing with a fractured orbital bone.
More Tucker concerns: Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed a 46-yard field goal attempt. He has missed a kick in all three games this season.
Wiggins healthy and makes big play: Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins was active for the game and forced a fumble against star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb late in the first quarter. Wiggins was listed as questionable with a neck injury and concussion. He missed the last game after getting into a car accident.
Hill plays key role: Ravens backup running back Justice Hill had a solid game with 33 yards rushing on five carries. He also had two receptions for 21 yards.
Inactives: The Ravens inactive for the game were: defensive end Brent Urban; outside linebacker Adisa Isaac; offensive lineman Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu; safety Beau Brade; center Nick Samac; cornerback T.J. Tampa; and wide receiver Devontez Walker