Dallas Cowboys almost eliminated, but then they narrowly win against the Ravens

The Dallas Cowboys disappointed the home crowd for the second week in a row after another miserable performance. They were bad on both sides of the ball and the Baltimore Ravens took control early on the way to a 28-25 victory that wasn't as close as the score suggests. The Cowboys need to look long and hard to figure out what's bothering them, because it's been a while since we've seen them play two terrible football games in a row. Here are 10 thoughts on the Cowboys' lackluster performance on Sunday.

1. Overconfidence

From the moment head coach Mike McCarthy decided to take the ball after winning the coin toss, you just knew things weren't going to go well. That's what teams do when they want to make a statement. Let your offense drive the ball down the field. We get it. But who are they kidding? This offense has struggled to find its way, and the fact that they couldn't get to the midfield and were sloppy in committing penalties showed they weren't able to make that statement. Next time, just shoot, Mike. It's always better to start with the ball in the second half.

2. The defense continued exactly where it left off

Last week, the Cowboys defense struggled against the Saints offense, allowing touchdowns on their first six drives of the game. That's insanely bad. The defense picked up where they left off and let the Ravens do whatever they wanted with two consecutive 70-yard drives that ended in a touchdown on their first two drives. And so the Cowboys were way behind early.

3. The problems with stopping runs continue

After allowing 190 yards rushing last week, we could only hope that things would go better this time. That wasn't the case. The Cowboys defense allowed 274 rushing yards. That was the most rushing yards this defense has allowed in a game since the horrific Mike Nolan days of 2020, when the team allowed 294 yards to, guess what, the Baltimore Ravens. Derrick Henry did most of the work, managing 151 yards on 25 carries (6.0 ypc), but Lamar Jackson added another 87 yards.

4. Cannot attack to save their lives

The problems stopping the run can be attributed to many things. Often, they always seem to be trending in the wrong direction. They don't read the game well and end up a step behind. On Sunday, the Cowboys' problems stopping the run were more than just mental. They were overwhelmed. The defenders just couldn't stand up to the Ravens' ball carriers and every time it looked like they should be stopped, they weren't. The Ravens just steamrolled the Cowboys' defenders.

5. Missed opportunity

After the Ravens took a 14-3 lead late in the first quarter, the Cowboys looked like they would answer with a touchdown drive. They drove to the Ravens' nine-yard line before a holding penalty on Tyler Guyton put them down ten yards. On the next play, Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb on a 10-yard slant, but Lamb fumbled the ball as it was being knocked out by a Ravens defender. That ended the drive and the Cowboys had nothing to show for it.

6. Missed opportunity, part II

To the surprise of many, the Cowboys defense made a few stops in the second quarter, but unfortunately the offense couldn't capitalize. And when the Ravens scored a touchdown with 25 seconds left in the first half to take a 21-3 lead, it felt like it was all over. The offense didn't give up and kept things tight when Prescott found Lamb deep down the sideline for a 31-yard pass. Then, on the next play, it looked like the Cowboys were in business when the Ravens committed defensive pass interference near the goal line. Unfortunately, Guyton was also flagged for holding, which led to penalties. The Cowboys had to settle for another field goal by Brandon Aubrey.

7. Why was it so difficult?

One of the most frustrating things about this game is that things looked easy for the Ravens offense and super confusing for the Cowboys offense. Jackson had open running lanes and completely free receivers. Even when they had a broken play, they turned it into positive yardage because there was no Cowboys defender to be found. Prescott, on the other hand, didn't have it so easy. Every time he completed a pass, it felt like the defender was hanging over him. The commentary team kept talking about how many throws into tight windows Prescott had. Either the play calling was terrible, the receivers couldn't get away, or Dak just didn't have a good view of the field. Whatever is going on, the Cowboys offense looks baffled.

8. Trying too much

When the offense is struggling over and over again, it's easy to get nervous and want the big play. It felt like Prescott and Lamb were trying too hard at times. Lamb had the fumble in the first half and a false start in the second. Prescott was a little too high on some of his throws and even lost his grip on the football on one play when he felt the pocket collapse. It was a stressful environment, but the team's best offensive players didn't seem to be keeping their cool.

9. Last breath

As awful as this game was to sit through, the Cowboys tied it up with a mini-run in the fourth quarter. After Justin Tucker missed a 46-yard field goal with ten minutes left, the Cowboys were still down 28-6. The offense then managed two straight touchdown drives thanks to an intercepted onside kick. Each drive lasted less than two minutes, making the score 28-18 with just over seven minutes left. After the Ravens went three and out, the Cowboys added another touchdown drive, making the score 28-25 with 2:44 left. Unfortunately, the Cowboys defense had no more stops, and the Ravens were able to run out the clock after picking up two first downs.

10. Home is the best place

Last year, it seemed like the Cowboys were unbeatable at AT&T Stadium. They were in the regular season, winning every home game last year. But since then, they've had a rough go of it in the friendly confines of their own stadium. Since last year's debacle against the Packers, the Cowboys have now scored 54 more points in the first half of their last three home games. They're done before the halftime show even starts. It's crazy that this keeps happening and they don't give them much of a chance in the second half. They finally got going on Sunday, but it was too little, too late.