Overview:
The Dallas Cowboys let another winnable game slip away in Brazil, falling 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens after Tyler Loop hit a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Despite overcoming an 11-point deficit and taking a fourth-quarter lead, Dallas was undone by penalties, a lost fumble and missed opportunities in the red zone. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense produced more than 400 yards, but the team left Brazil searching for answers as it dropped to 1-2 on the season.
The Cowboys went to Brazil with the ability to come home with a win.
They came home asking why they didn’t win another game they should’ve won.
Tyler Loop hit a 56-yard field goal at the end of the game Sunday to seal a 34-31 win for the Ravens over the Cowboys at Maracanã Stadium in the first NFL regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro.
After clawing back from an 11-point deficit in the second half, the Cowboys took the lead in the fourth quarter. They even tied the game with seven seconds remaining. A final throw from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers allowed Tyler Loop to put his team ahead and give the Cowboys their second loss this season as they fell to 1-2.
“Frustrated. Frustrated as hell. Excuse me. Embarrassed,” Dak Prescott said.
The Cowboys finished the game with 415 total yards. They ran for 139 yards and had the ball longer than Baltimore. What let them down were seven penalties for 88 yards, a lost fumble and not being able to close out some of their drives.
Prescott went 25-of-40 for 276 yards and a touchdown. CeeDee Lamb had seven receptions for 112 yards, while George Pickens had seven receptions for 82 yards. Javonte Williams ran for 98 yards and a touchdown.
“We just got in our own way. That’s the only thing that stopped us tonight,” Prescott said.
The Cowboys started off with a 28-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey. Williams would score a touchdown from 2 yards out to put Dallas up 10-0.
After only running for 66 yards against Washington last week, Dallas knew it had to improve. Williams gave them that boost early.
The Ravens came back with Derrick Henry.
Henry would score two touchdowns in the first half to put the Ravens ahead of Dallas going into halftime, 17-13. Henry finished the game with 89 yards and two touchdowns on 26 rushes. Jackson went 15-of-20 for 186 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 50 yards.
Jackson threw a touchdown to Chris Moore to put the Ravens up 24-13 late in the third quarter.
But the Cowboys came right back.
Jake Ferguson caught a 19-yard touchdown from Prescott. Then Prescott converted a two-point conversion to Lamb to bring Dallas within three points.
Then the defense stepped up and stopped Baltimore on four straight plays. The Ravens had pushed the ball to the Dallas 3-yard line and couldn’t score.
Dallas went 96 yards and scored to take the lead. Lamb helped spark the drive with a 49-yard reception. KaVontae Turpin capped it off with a 9-yard touchdown run to give Dallas a 28-24 lead with 9:42 to play.
Baltimore came back, and Jackson threw a 2-yard touchdown to rookie tight end Matt Hibner with 1:34 to play to give Baltimore a 31-28 lead.
Prescott took his team down the field and gave them another chance to win. A penalty gave them a good look at the end zone. Dallas was unable to score a touchdown, and Aubrey hit a 23-yard field goal with seven seconds left to tie the game.
“That was the last chance that we had the ball in our hands,” Prescott said. “That was a chance to win the game.”
Prescott said the offense should not have left the defense in that position to decide the game.
“Those guys are over there, you know, saying it’s on us. Absolutely not. We’ve got to put the game away, period,” Prescott said.
Prescott also felt that he should’ve given Pickens a chance near the goal line.
“GP’s GP. He did a great job of winning regardless,” Prescott said.
He felt he should’ve thrown the ball more toward the pylon and given Pickens a better chance to score.
Instead, the Cowboys settled for three points.
That was all Baltimore needed to get three points back.
Jackson was able to throw a 27-yard completion to Flowers, taking the Ravens to the Dallas 38. Baltimore then called a timeout with one second to play. Jackson said his team had been working on that play since the start of training camp.
“Everyone was on the same timing,” Jackson said.
Loop finished the game off.
“I was standing on the sideline like, ‘Your legacy start now,’” Jackson said. “What a way to start your legacy in Brazil.”
There were many positives that could be taken from the game. After falling behind by double digits, the Cowboys came back. Dallas ran the ball more this week, and the offense finished with more than 400 yards.
Of course, Prescott knows they still have to win games.
“We just got to win games,” Prescott said. “You got to find a way to win these type of games.”
The Cowboys’ next matchup will be an in-state game against the Texans on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Reliant Stadium. Houston comes into the game 0-3 after losing to the Colts by two points Sunday.
This will be another chance for Dallas to bounce back.
The Cowboys thought they had enough chances to win in Brazil.
They just didn’t execute on them.
