Swing the Hammer

Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham had the best game of his young NFL career on Sunday night, posting seven tackles and two tackles for loss against the Ravens, including two stuffs on All-Pro RB Derrick Henry in crucial situations.

"I thought he flashed a lot, but more than anything, I thought he was in great command and control of what we were doing and calling the game," Schottenheimer said. "The green dot, that's a young player stepping up, I do think that helps him settle into the game a little bit, being in communication with Christian."

When Barham was on the field Sunday, the Cowboys defense allowed 2.4 fewer yards per play and a 8.3% lower success rate, according to NextGenStats. Barham's five run stops against Baltimore bring his season total up to 13, third-most among rookies this season.

Injury Bug Bites

The Cowboys already came into Sunday night with some key injuries to starters like Tyler Smith (thumb), DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) and Malik Hooker (forearm). Unfortunately, the injury bug continued to bite, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Some players suffered injuries and were able to return to the game, but S Jalen Thompson (hamstring), CB Shavon Revel (knee) and DT Jonathan Bullard (calf) did not return to the game after their injuries.

"We got beat to hell. I don't have all the injury reports… we got beat up pretty good. Next man up was real tonight." Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said.

The Cowboys have a short week coming up before facing the Houston Texans on the road next Sunday. Schottenheimer is giving his players Monday and Tuesday off to recover.

Next Men Up

With so many injuries in the secondary, a number of Dallas' depth players at cornerback and safety had to play increased roles. Players like Reddy Steward, Caelen Carson, Markquese Bell, Alijah Clark and Ameer Speed all saw more snaps defensively than they had in the past.

While Dallas' defense was able to get some crucial stops to get back in the game, the big chunk play to Zay Flowers with seven seconds left in the game will ultimately be what is remembered about this game.

"I liked the call," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said about his defense's plan on the last play. "I wanted them to stay sticky. But at the end of the day, [the Ravens] ran two ins. It's a play we run quite a bit of. And the bottom line is you've got to make the ball go to the first one, not the layer that they hit to Zay Flowers. So that's where we have to better. But I was good with the call, we've just got to execute in those situations."

Wrong Side of History

When Brandon Aubrey put through a 23-yard field goal with 10 seconds to go in the fourth quarter and a tied ball game, most in Rio de Janeiro thought Cowboys-Ravens was headed for overtime.

Instead, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers and Tyler Loop had other plans.

After Flowers' big play to set up Loop's 56-yard field goal as time expired, Sunday's Week 3 matchup between Dallas and Baltimore became the first game in the Super Bowl era where both teams kicked a field goal in the final 10 seconds of the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they were the ones who kicked it first.

A Dynamic Duo

Despite having some self-inflicted wounds over the course of the night, the Cowboys saw more of what they were used to from their two star receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens against the Ravens.

Lamb caught seven passes for 112 yards, his second straight 100+ yard game, and Pickens hauled in seven catches as well for 82 yards.

Is this the most in rhythm the Cowboys passing game has been this season in terms of getting the ball to both of their alpha receivers? "Both made some big catches at times throughout the game, especially that last drive. Yeah, if we're just talking those two games," Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said. "But I mean, we've got a full season of work in our belt with those two guys and knowing what we want to do, so it really depends on what defenses are giving us, how they're playing us, and we're able to attack with both guys."

Special Teams Struggles

On two occasion Sunday night, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey had kickoffs go out of bounds. The first came on Baltimore's third drive of the game offensively, which help prompt their first touchdown drive of the night.

"It happens occasionally. It can't happen twice in a game," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. "We don't expect that from Brandon. You know how talented he is. Like I said, no one coached or played a perfect game. And because of that, we ended up coming up short to a good football team."

Because Aubrey had the two kicks out of bounds, Schottenheimer said that influenced the decision to have Aubrey kick out of the end zone with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, that would give Baltimore the ball at their own 35-yard line, and after a 27-yard completion to Zay Flowers, set up their game winning field goal.

Field Condition Concerns?

Ahead of the Cowboys' Week 3 game against the Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, concerns have raised on social media in recent days about the playing surface at Maracanã Stadium, where Dallas and Baltimore will meet next Sunday.

Flamengo, Brazil's most valuable football club and a member of Brazilian Serie A, plays their home matches at Maracanã Stadium, including a 2-1 win over Red Bull Bragantino on Sunday. In an earlier match this week, some Flamengo players had voiced their displeasure with the quality of the playing surface.

When asked about it after the game, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Dallas' operations team has been in contact with the league about the field but isn't concerned about it.

The league seems to feel like everything's going to be fine," Schottenheimer said. "And in reality, we were focused on this, but I have no concerns...I'm aware of some of the quotes and stuff, but again, I trust that the league's going to make the right decision and they'll get the field up to standard."

The Ground Game

In order to set up the passing game, you often times need to be able to run the ball. That was not the case for the Cowboys on Sunday, as the Dallas threw for 266 yards and ran for just 66. Running back Javonte Williams was held to 30 yards on 12 carries, good for 2.5 yards per carry.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the plan going into the game was to throw the ball around the field and spread Washington's defense out, which may be part of the explanation for Dallas' lack of success on the ground.

"I didn't think the numbers would be 66 yards, but like I said, I did want to come out and spread them out and use some of our play action passing game," Schottenheimer said. "Dak did a really nice job running. And then again, we had the long one called back in the fourth quarter. That was a nice run by Javonte [Williams]."

"It's a good front and they're explosive and powerful and they did a nice job. But again, the commitment there from me was Hey, we're going to come out throwing the ball around. And I think it worked pretty well for us."

Injury Roundup

With a "short" week coming up, the Cowboys had a few injuries pile up against the Commanders. S P.J. Locke, who was starting in place of Malik Hooker (forearm), suffered a foot injury early in the game and did not return. He was seen in a walking boot after the game.

Also in the secondary, CB Cobie Durant was stepped on by S Markquese Bell in the end zone after an incomplete pass and missed the remainder of the game with a hamstring injury. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said they've "got to get some more tests there" and did not provide a timetable for return on either one of them.

The Cowboys were already without Hooker and LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) on Sunday and could be without them again against the Ravens. Additionally, LB Jaishawn Barham, who wore the green dot in Overshown's absence, suffered a stinger, according to Schottenheimer.

Close, not Close Enough

According to NextGenStats, the Cowboys defense recorded nine pressures when using four pass rushers against the Commanders, up from just two four-man pressures in their season opener against the Giants.

Dallas had 12 total pressures on Commanders QBs, but did not record a sack. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels was able to scramble on six occasions for 69 yards, averaging 11.5 yards per carry, before suffering a devastating elbow injury at the end of the first half. It's a sign of improvement for Dallas' defense, but also a sign of more improvement that needs to be done.

"I know we didn't get any sacks, but [Daniels] and Marcus [Mariota)]were both moved off the spot quite a bit," Schottenheimer said of the Cowboys pass rush. "And so I felt good about that, but there's always things to clean up. We certainly have not arrived. We got a lot of work to do."

A Week's Time

Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker got his first win as a defensive play caller on Sunday, a week removed from Dallas' 28-20 loss where Parker's defense struggled in his debut.

There are still plenty of things to clean up ahead of facing Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Ravens offense in Week 3. That said, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer saw his young coordinator and the defense he manages respond the right way after a tough start to the year.

"They didn't blink," Schottenheimer said. "I've been in a tough situation like that before as a young coordinator and not sure and you're taking a lot of bullets. He didn't blink and that's a sign of a competitor that has a very, very bright future."

A Connection Beyond the Field

Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson caught two touchdown passes from Dak Prescott on his record-setting night, and the two have always had a knack for connecting in big moments especially up the seams in the middle of the field.

That connection extends far beyond the playing field. Ferguson and Prescott are very close off the field. After the game, Ferguson said that Prescott pulled him out of a meeting at training camp after Ferguson's stepfather passed away in order to make sure he was okay. Those kinds of relationships hold a special place in Prescott's heart.

"When he lost his [step]father in camp, I knew where he was," Prescott said. "I've been in that position and just wanting to be there for him and check on him and let him know that whatever you're feeling is okay. You're mad, pissed, whatever. And he handled as good as anybody can, losing a stepfather and being there for his mom and for his family and being a rock. And I just wanted to be a little help if I could."

Trench Work

One of the many things Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer was frustrated with from his team was their play at the line of scrimmage. Offensively, the front five were able to keep Dak Prescott clean, but struggled to generate a push in the run game.

"I thought they pushed us around a little bit up front," Schottenheimer said. "Their defensive line, our running game, there was way too much penetration early in the game. Javonte was running into freaking, a wall in the beginning of the game. We made some good adjustments at halftime, but this is a team game."

At the halfway point of the game, the Cowboys had 50 yards rushing on 14 carries. In the second half, Dallas ran just 4 times for 19 yards.

"They played a great game," Cowboys RB Javonte Williams said of the Giants' front. "We just got to execute better next time we see them. I feel like we could've started a little faster, we could've played better on both sides. It isn't one side's fault or the other side's fault, we've just got to be better."

Cleaning Things Up

In the first half, the Cowboys had seven total penalties called against them. By the end of the night, Dallas had gotten nine flags thrown against them for a total of 90 yards that went to benefit the Giants.

"Penalties kill your ability to win, especially the self-inflicted wounds," Schottenheimer said. "We just offsides a couple times in short yardage situations, which we gave them free downs if you will. That led to sustained drives, it led to them again controlling the football, but it comes down to discipline. And we're more disciplined than the way we played tonight." As Javonte Williams was headed for the end zone to make it a one possession game at the end of the fourth quarter, he was flagged for a taunting penalty when he stuck the ball in the direction of a defender as scored, backing up the extra point 15 yards. Brandon Aubrey would go on to miss the kick, and Schottenheimer said after the game he was planning on going for two before Williams' uncharacteristic penalty.

"I'm a pro, I know better than that," Williams said. "I shouldn't have did it. I'ma correct it. It is what it is, we're just going to move past it."

Missing Darts

In 2025, the Cowboys defense allowed the fifth-highest success rate on quarterback runs (65.2%) and eight touchdowns on quarterback runs, the most in the NFL. In Week 1, Dallas struggled to defend Jaxson Dart's legs.

Dart finished the night as New York's second leading rusher with 54 yards on 11 carries, highlighted by a 22-yard designed run. Dallas' run defending struggles carried over across the board, as the team had a total of seven missed tackles.

Of Dart's 11 carries, NextGenStats credited seven of them as successful, seeing him finish with a 63.6% success rate with the ball in his hands. That was more successful than Cam Skattebo, who had 9 on 18 carries (50%) as he finished with 81 yards.

Injury Roundup

The Cowboys left East Rutherford with two injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Veteran safety Malik Hooker may have fractured his forearm, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and the team will hold more testing on Monday to determine more.

Additionally, Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown suffered a hamstring injury. Schottenheimer said they don't yet know the severity of the injury yet. Overshown has missed significant time in his NFL career due to two major knee injuries.

During Friday's practice before the season opener, the Cowboys lost Malik Davis for the season to a serious non-contact hip injury.

"Devasted for him," Schottenheimer said. "Very serious injury. He's an incredible young man, I've talked a lot about it. Non-contact issue, we knew it was pretty significant and pretty serious, and our prayers are with him. I talked to him the other night and the night that it happened, and he was in pretty good spirits, but I know he'd appreciate everybody's thoughts and prayers."

Trying to Heat Up

One of the reasons Giants QB Jaxson Dart was able to throw for 230 yards on a 79.3% completion percentage was because Dallas struggled to get a consistent pass rush in order to make things difficult for the second-year signal caller.

"We did not get enough pressure on him," Schottenheimer said. "He looked pretty comfortable back there. I thought we had some good shots on the ball, but the pass rush does have to be better, for sure."

According to NextGenStats, Dart was pressured 11 times on Sunday night. When rushing with four pass rushers, the Cowboys defense was only able to generate two pressures on Dart, and he completed 17 of his 19 passing attempts for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Parker's Debut

Evidently, Christian Parker's debut as a defensive coordinator did not go as many imagined. Dallas' defense was one of the worst in franchise history in 2025, and the first impression of the 2026 unit did not offer many improvements against the Giants.

After a difficult start for the 34-year-old first-time defensive play caller, what does Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer tell him?

"Don't flinch," Schottenheimer said. "You can't flinch in this league. You're going to get humbled at times. It happens. He'll learn from it, we'll learn from it, he's going to be hardest on himself anyways, he and the defensive staff. At the end of the day, when you look at the numbers, they were four-for-four in the red zone, they were nine of 11 with a kneel down on third down, it's just not good enough. And so you gotta figure out why, and you got to do it in a hurry."