RIO DE JANEIRO – Both teams had double-digit leads in a game that had more ups and downs, twists and turns than any rollercoaster.
But in the end, the Ravens had the ball last and made the final play, winning 34-31 in the NFL's first-ever game played in Rio.
Here are a handful of plays that might have changed the outcome:
Second-and-1 pass to Flournoy – The Cowboys were absolutely gashing the Ravens to start the game, and Javonte Williams was the biggest reason, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. It was second-and-goal at the 1-yard line, and the Cowboys called for a pass, which was incomplete to Ryan Flournoy. The next play was also a pass that resulted in a sack. The Cowboys had to settle for a demoralizing field goal and never gave Williams the chance to get another yard after he had just ripped off 44. That four-point swing loomed large.
Aubrey's kick out of bounds – The Cowboys were dominating the early part of the game, leading 10-0, and the first two kickoffs pinned the Ravens back inside their 25-yard line. The third kickoff by Brandon Aubrey, though, started out as the best one, bouncing over the returner's head. But the ball kept rolling and eventually went out of bounds at the 1. Had it rolled into the end zone, it's first down at the Ravens' 20-yard line, but out of bounds at the 1 put the ball at the 40. That gave the Ravens some life, and they promptly drove the field for a quick touchdown, getting back in the game at 10-7. Later, Aubrey once again gave the Ravens the ball at the 40, although Baltimore eventually had to punt.
Playing for a field goal before half – Down 17-10 before halftime, it appeared as if the Cowboys were more focused on scoring at the end of the second quarter – even if it meant a field goal. The Cowboys didn't rush to the line or really use the hurry-up offense, running the clock down to 33 seconds before calling a timeout. Dak Prescott threw two safe passes to Flournoy that were incomplete, and Dallas then kicked a field goal with 18 seconds left, content on scoring last. The problem with that was the Cowboys didn't take advantage of the double-dip possibility and had to punt on the first drive of the second half. And they actually didn't score again until late in the third quarter on their third possession of the half.
Steele's critical penalty – In the third quarter, Dallas trailed 17-13 but were on the move after a huge third-down pickup by George Pickens, who made a great catch over the middle to the Ravens' 24-yard line. But behind the play, Terence Steele was flagged for holding, wiping out the first down and pushing the offense back to third-and-19. After a 13-yard pass to Pickens, the ensuing field goal try by Aubrey was blocked. The Ravens took over and scored immediately for a 24-13 lead.
Game-changing false start – With starting tight end Jake Ferguson in the medical tent on second-and-goal from the 2-yard line, backup Luke Schoonmaker was flagged for a false start penalty that backed the offense back to the 7, making it a pass-only option at that point. Still, the Cowboys had a shot to win it with a third-down pass to Pickens, who appeared open. But the penalty at that point in the game made them one-dimensional.
Bonus:
Decision to kick deep – When the game was tied with seven seconds to play, just about everyone was thinking overtime. But for the first time all game, the Cowboys elected to let Aubrey kick it out of the end zone for a touchback. Instead of a shorter kick with a chance to make the tackle and perhaps run out the clock there, the Ravens got the ball at the 35-yard line, with a timeout. We know how the rest of the game played out, but a different decision on the kickoff probably changes the game. Looking at the analytics, the chances of the Ravens returning a kickoff for a touchdown are way less than completing a 20-yard pass against a depleted secondary.
