ARLINGTON, TX - While new head coach Brian Schottenheimer is trying to build a new physical culture in Dallas, a 31-13 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in the second game of the preseason showed there is still much work to be done.
Baltimore, traditionally one of the most physical teams in the NFL, largely held the advantage at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, as the Ravens outgained Dallas on offense, 399 yards to 176, ran 79 plays to 47 and dominated the time of possessions, 40:11 to 19:49.
Hoping for a better showing in his second start of the exhibition slate quarterback Joe Milton again showed flashes but struggled throughout the night. He completed nine of 18 passes for 122 yards of which 49 of those came on one play. With one interception thrown in, the result was a passer rating of just 48.8.
Not that the ground game was much better as the Cowboys only picked up 51 rushing yards on 20 carries, an average of 2.5 per try. Conversely, the Ravens averaged 3.8 yards but had 39 rushing attempts for a total 148 yards.
Baltimore quarterback Cooper Rush made his return to Dallas and completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 198 yards, a touchdown and a pair of interceptions for a 68.5 passer rating.
First Quarter
Dallas' first offensive possession was one to forget. After forcing the Ravens to punt again following a penalty, the Cowboys actually found themselves in slightly worse field position, beginning at their own 7-yard line. Miles Sanders then took two straight handoffs for 1 and minus-5 yards before Milton was sacked on a safety blitz to get Baltimore on the board first, 2-0.
That was quickly followed by the Ravens taking the ensuing kickoff and marching 62 yards down to the Dallas 11-yard line. The defense held the line there, but the visitors tacked on a 29-yard field goal for another three points.
Not exactly the fast start the Cowboys had hoped for on offense.
Thankfully, though, the defense, and in particular cornerback Andrew Booth, gave the home side the lead before the quarter was done. On third-and-8 on the Baltimore 20-yard line, Rush tried to connect with wideout LaJohntay Wester on the left side, only to have Booth corral the ball instead and race to the goal line to put the Cowboys on top, 7-5.
Second Quarter
However, the lead was short-lived as the Ravens used their next series to go 76 yards in 13 plays for their own touchdown. A Rush pass to receiver Anthony Miller on third-and-5 at the Cowboys' 29-yard line netted a 25-yard gain. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer challenged the ruling of a catch, but the officials stuck with their call.
Four plays later, Rush then found Keith Kirkwood in the back of the end zone for the score and a lead Baltimore would never relinquish.
The Cowboys offense did show a little life on their first possession of the second frame with Mile Sanders pushing them across midfield with 19 yards on four carries. But on fourth-and-1 at the Baltimore 45-yard line, Sanders was stuffed for no gain, Dallas turning the ball over on downs. That led to the Ravens adding three more to their scoreboard total, thanks to a 51-yard field goal by kicker Tyler Loop.
Kemon Hall added a second interception for the Dallas defense, but Milton gave the gift right back with a pick of his own. That gave Baltimore one more shot to get into field goal range and Loop split the uprights from 47 yards to give the Ravens an 18-7 lead at the break.
Third Quarter
Finally, the Cowboys offense showed some life. On their second possession of the half, Milton went deep down the right sideline to Jonathan Mingo for a 49-yard completion to the Ravens' 23-yard line. A holding penalty would stall the drive, but Brandon Aubrey came out for a 36-yard field goal to narrow the deficit.
But Baltimore responded in kind on its ensuing a drive to go back up by 11. Keeping Loop busy, the visitors added a 36-yard field goal to finish the frame with a 21-10 lead.
Fourth Quarter
Dallas was back on the move as the final quarter got underway and was able to work its way down to the Baltimore 18-yard line. But an 11-yard sack of Milton brought out Aubrey, the kicker good this time from 47 yards.
A touchdown by the Ravens, though, sealed the game. Following a 38-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, Baltimore went on a seven-play, 52-yard march that saw running back D'Ernest Johnson get three carries for 16 yards, the last of which was a 2-yard plunge off right tackle across the goal line.
With that, Milton's night was done as Will Grier stepped in behind center. And he showed promise as his first pass was completed to tight end Princeton Fant for a 33-yard gain. But three plays later, Grier was strip-sacked with Baltimore recovering at the Dallas 48-yard line. Fortunately, no more damage was done as Loop eventually missed wide left on a 50-yard field goal attempt.
But he would close out the game with a 53-yarder, the Ravens bringing the night to a merciful end.
