What are you going to be paying the most attention to on Sunday?
The Dallas Cowboys host the Baltimore Ravens this week and they’ll try to go up one in the win column while sending the reigning AFC North champions to the basement with an 0-3 start. In the opener, the Cowboys looked impressive, but they were helped by a Cleveland team that didn’t play so well. Last week, they played horribly and got thumped, but New Orleans might be a little better than we expected. It’s hard to know what we’ll see from this team this week, but here are five things to keep an eye on on Sunday.
1. MAKE HENRY DANCE
The Cowboys’ defense is coming off a game where they allowed 190 yards on the ground as the Saints’ rushing attack marched all over them. So, it’s only natural to feel extremely worried as they turn their attention to the Ravens, the league’s top rushing team last season. A big part of that is thanks to the finesse of their quarterback, and we’ll get to that in a minute, but they added veteran back Derrick Henry this offseason.
Henry’s résumé is quite impressive. He’s rushed for at least 1,500 yards in three of the last five seasons, but he’s north of 30 now and doesn’t have that same juice he once had. In his first two games with the Ravens, he’s only averaging 65 yards per game, his lowest production average since becoming a starting running back in this league. Henry is a power runner and can churn out some yards if he picks up steam and barrels north and south, but if the Cowboys can force him to work outside a bit, they should be able to limit his effectiveness. He’s not blazing around any corners.
2. SECRET AGENT 0013
Any team that faces the Ravens has to account for Lamar Jackson. Everyone knows that. He has a career average of double-digit rushing attempts per game and he usually adds another 60 yards of offense with his legs. Twice in his career, he’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season, and with 167 yards already in the books, he’s on pace for over 1,400 yards this year. He’s a problem.
To combat Jackson’s elusiveness, the Cowboys must deploy their young speedy linebacker DeMarvion Overshown as a spy. Fans went nuts when Overshown rode the pine quite a bit last week against the Saints after a strong NFL debut in Cleveland, but there should be no shortage of snaps for him in this one. Expect him to lock in on his target and help keep the Raven’s athletic quarterback from taking over the game.
3. DAK ON TRACK
There’s been a lot made about the Cowboys issues in the running game on both sides of the ball, but the team needs to do a better job playing to their strengths. They have a great quarterback and one of the game’s best wide receivers. They have to find a way to get these guys going.
CeeDee Lamb will do CeeDee Lamb things and you’ve got to figure he’ll make big plays when provided the opportunity. So, it’s on Dak Prescott to make that happen and to work the field. The playcalling needs to be better, but Prescott needs to perform a little better. Currently, he ranks in the bottom five in the league in expected points allowed per dropback.
Prescott’s better than he’s been playing and it would be nice to the team’s quarterback have a good showing on Sunday.
4. DAK CAN RUN TOO
The start of the season looks eerily similar to last year when we prematurely got excited about the defense while not recognizing the offense had their issues as well. Then, a beatdown in the Bay revealed that the Cowboys have a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball. The following week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Cowboys found themselves in a dogfight where points were hard to come by. Frustrated with the offense, Dak Prescott took matters into his own hands and broke the pocket numerous times, rushing for a season-best 40 yards.
Prescott is not the rushing threat Jackson is. Not even close. But what he can do, and needs to do, is take off running when defenses are deploying too many defenders in the secondary. Rather than trying to operate in that type of congestion, Dak should pick his moments and keep the Raven’s defense honest.
5. TROUBLE ON THE EDGE
Prescott scampering when he’s got a lot of real estate in front of him is good. Take those yards. Running because the pocket collapses? That’s never a good thing. The Ravens’ defense has some matchup issues on the edge with outside linebackers Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy. The way Oweh goes from speed to power could give the Cowboys’ rookie left tackle, Tyler Guyton fits. And Van Noy’s quickness around the corner could create some balance issues for Terence Steele.
The offensive line of the Cowboys isn’t coming off a great performance and they’ll need to do a much better job protecting the edge to allow their quarterback enough time to operate.
What will you be watching on Sunday?
