Dallas’ First Two Second-Half Drives Turned a Chance Into a Chase

The third quarter opened with an empty Dallas possession, the sort of quiet failure that does not look fatal until the scoreboard starts charging interest. The Cowboys moved from their 35-yard line to Baltimore’s 23, converted fourth-and-4 with Dak Prescott’s pass to CeeDee Lamb and had a chance to cut into Baltimore’s 17-13 lead.

Instead, Jake Ferguson caught a short pass for a one-yard loss and fumbled. Trenton Simpson recovered at the Baltimore 25, and replay upheld the ruling that Ferguson had completed the catch before losing the ball. Dallas had advanced 40 yards on nine plays and received nothing for the trip.

In a game the Cowboys would lose 34-31 in Rio de Janeiro, that empty possession was an expensive start to the second half.

Baltimore went three-and-out, giving the Cowboys another opportunity before the quarter had found its rhythm. This possession began at Dallas’ 33 and reached the Ravens’ 41. Javonte Williams provided the surge, gaining 22 yards on second down and taking the Cowboys across midfield.

Then came the holding call that changed the shape of the drive. On third-and-9 from the Baltimore 44, Prescott connected with George Pickens on a pass that reached the Ravens’ 24. Right tackle Terence Steele was flagged for offensive holding. The accepted 10-yard penalty wiped out the gain. Dallas had to replay third down from its own 46, now needing 19 yards.

Pickens caught 13 yards on the replayed third down, but that left fourth-and-6 at the Baltimore 41. Brandon Aubrey’s 59-yard attempt was blocked by Keondre Jackson. Dallas had now taken two second-half possessions into Baltimore territory, gained 66 yards and scored zero points.

The scoreboard still read 17-13. The burden did not.

Baltimore turned the second empty possession into an 11-point advantage with a four-play scoring drive. Derrick Henry started from the Ravens’ 49 and broke a 29-yard run to the Dallas 22. A false-start penalty pushed Baltimore back, but Justice Hill answered with an 11-yard run.

Lamar Jackson then scrambled 12 yards to the Dallas 4 before finding Chris Moore for the touchdown. The drive covered 51 yards in 2:10, putting Baltimore ahead 24-13.

That was the game’s clearest pivot. Dallas was moving the football; it simply failed to convert its best early opportunities into points. The Cowboys finished with 415 total yards, 27 first downs and 148 rushing yards.

Prescott threw for 276 yards without an interception, and Williams carried 19 times for 98 yards. Those numbers describe a capable offense, but they also contain the fumble near the scoring area and a promising drive that ended with a kick being blocked.

Baltimore deserves credit for making those misses expensive. Henry finished with 89 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Jackson added 50 yards on the ground, completed 15 of 20 passes for 186 yards and threw two touchdown passes.

The Ravens’ 192 rushing yards forced Dallas to account for both Jackson’s movement and Henry’s power. On the drive after the blocked kick, Henry supplied the acceleration; Jackson’s legs finished the march before the pass to Moore.

Ferguson later gave Dallas a direct answer. After Baltimore moved ahead 24-13, the Cowboys drove 67 yards. A roughing-the-passer penalty added 15 yards to the possession, and from the Baltimore 19, Prescott found Ferguson for a touchdown on second-and-11. Dallas converted the two-point attempt, cutting the deficit to 24-21.

That score mattered, and Ferguson’s later contribution should be credited plainly. It also belonged to a different part of the game than the fumble. The touchdown reduced the damage; it did not restore the possession Dallas had surrendered at the Baltimore 25.

The Cowboys later traveled 96 yards after driving Henry backward on fourth down from the Dallas 1, and KaVontae Turpin’s touchdown put Dallas ahead 28-24. After the teams exchanged punts, Baltimore reclaimed the lead with an 11-play, 64-yard touchdown drive. The Ravens won 34-31 on Tyler Loop’s 56-yard field goal after Dallas tied the game with seven seconds remaining.

The finish was dramatic, but the earlier accounting was simpler. Dallas entered Baltimore territory twice to begin the second half and came away empty both times. Ferguson helped make the comeback plausible. Those two possessions made the comeback necessary.

Sources

ESPN box score and play-by-play

Official team report