The Dallas Cowboys were one of the most hyped teams in the NFL coming into the 2026 season. They missed the playoffs a year ago, but Dak Prescott still led one of the best offenses in all of football, and it was the Dallas defense that let it down time and time again.
This year, the Cowboys addressed almost all of their needs in the offseason. All 11 starters on offense from a year ago are back, and George Pickens is even betting on himself by playing on the franchise tag. After a 37-point explosion in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders and an efficient Week 1 outing against the New York Giants, the Cowboys look to be firing on all cylinders on that side of the ball.
The defense, on the other hand, looks completely different than it did a season ago. The Cowboys brought in Christian Parker from Philadelphia as their new defensive coordinator. They also drafted Caleb Downs in the secondary to go along with free-agent additions Cobie Durant and Jalen Thompson. Rookie Jaishawn Barham is wearing the green dot in the middle of the defense, and Quinnen Williams is in his first full seasons with the Cowboys defense.
So far, that has not been a fruitful endeavor. The Dallas defense has struggled through two weeks, and while it is still early and there are a lot of moving parts, there is reason to be concerned heading into Week 3 and the rest of the season.
Now, the Cowboys are taking on another talented offense in Week 3 when they head down to Brazil to take on the Baltimore Ravens. In some ways, the Ravens provide a perfect test into just what this Cowboys defense is made of and if it can hold up over the rest of the season.
Ravens will try to batter the Cowboys on the ground
In 2025, it was no secret that you could get the Cowboys on the ground. Dallas finished 31st in the NFL in EPA per rush allowed (+0.07) and 28th in rushes of 10 or more yards allowed (64) per Next Gen Stats, and not much has changed in 2026.
While the sample size is small through two games, things haven't gotten much better in 2026. The Cowboys are 29th in EPA per rush allowed (+0.09) so far this year and have already given up eight runs of 10 or more yards, both on a similar pace to their dreadful numbers a year ago. On top of that, the Cowboys are giving up five yards per carry this season. The numbers are that bad despite a Week 2 game against the Commanders who, outside of Jayden Daniels scrambling, aren't expected to have an effective ground game at all this season.
In steps the duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, which even the best run defenses in the NFL fear each and every week. Even at 32 years old, Henry is still on of the most productive backs in the NFL and has already shown that he still has it so far this year. Jackson also looks healthy and more like his old self after playing through hamstring issues throughout the 2025 season.
As a result, the Ravens are off to a blazing start on the ground. Declan Doyle, the new offensive coordinator in Baltimore, worked under Ben Johnson in Chicago last season, and the Bears had one of the best running games in football. Now, that is carrying over to Baltimore.
So far in 2026, after playing against a stingy Saints defense in Week 2 and the Colts in Week 1, the Ravens are currently fourth in the league in rushing yards. Their +0.19 EPA per rush is second in the NFL only behind the Chiefs. Their rushing success rate is an absolutely bonkers 54.2%, the only team above 50% in the NFL this season. The Ravens and Bills are also the only two teams who are averaging more than three yards before contact per carry.
If you narrow it down to just Henry, the numbers are just as impressive. He is second in the NFL among running backs in both EPA per rush and success rate, as well as yards after contact.
The Cowboys are beat up coming into this game. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerback Cobie Durant and safeties P.J. Locke and Malik Hooker all did not practice on Wednesday due to injuries. The Ravens are going to come after Dallas on the ground, and whether the Cowboys can stand up to it or not could set the tone for the rest of this season.
Can the Cowboys hold up in coverage?
To be blunt, the Cowboys' pass defense hasn't been all that much better than its run defense has so far this season. Dallas is only 30th in EPA per dropback allowed (+0.28) through two weeks. The pass rush isn't helping much either, with just two sacks through two games.
On the other side, Lamar Jackson has been excellent for the most part so far this season. He tore up the Colts in Week 1 and was having another stellar day in Week 2 against the Saints before petering out in the second half.
But this test for the Cowboys isn't about defending Jackson as much as it is about defending the Baltimore pass-catchers. Zay Flowers, who had 150 yards in Week 1, missed Week 2 with a hamstring injury and did not practice on Wednesday, putting his status against the Cowboys in doubt.
If Flowers is unable to suit up, the Ravens will once again be down to Rashod Bateman as their top wide receiver, with the likes of Chris Moore and LaJohntay Wester taking snaps alongside him.
The Cowboys invested a lot in their secondary this offseason, and a lot of that investment is already on the injury report. However, Caleb Downs has been one of the best defensive backs in football through two weeks, and the Cowboys still need to find out if Shavon Revel can be a longtime starting cornerback for the franchise.
Jackson is an elite passer and can get the job done about as well as anyone in the NFL. But the Cowboys, with as much as they have invested into Parker and their defense, should be able to give this receiving core problems, Flowers or not. If they can't? It might be foreshadowing another frustrating season on defense in Dallas.