3 winners (and 3 losers) from Ravens' narrow escape over Cowboys

The Baltimore Ravens finally broke into the win column with a hard-fought 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, handing Dallas their second straight loss. Despite a late surge from the Cowboys, the Ravens controlled the game for the first three quarters, jumping out to a commanding 28-6 lead.

The Cowboys’ rally in the fourth quarter made the final score closer than the game actually was, but it wasn’t enough to overcome their earlier mistakes. For Baltimore, this win was a much-needed bounce-back after an 0-2 start. Running back Derrick Henry powered the Ravens’ offense with a dominant performance on the ground, while quarterback Lamar Jackson and the defense did enough to keep the Cowboys at bay.

As we break down this game, let’s take a look at three winners and three losers from the Ravens’ Week 3 victory over the Cowboys.

Winner: The Ravens' rushing attack

Talk about seizing an opportunity. Baltimore ran the ball all over the Cowboys' defense. The onslaught started early in the first quarter and didn't let up until the clock hit 0:00. Baltimore ran the ball 45 times for 274 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. The Ravens finally looked like the team that led the league in rushing yards last year. That should terrify the rest of the league.

Winner: The Ravens, FINALLY!

While it may seem like a cop-out, including the entire Ravens team here, feels warranted. Aside from a semi-fourth quarter collapse, Baltimore balled out on every facet. They made Dallas one-dimensional on offense and exposed them as frauds on the defensive side of the ball. It really was a well-rounded whole team effort. They are winners in every sense of the word.

Winner: Ebony Bird (not to toot our own horn)

While we didn't quite get the score right, in our predictions made last week, we stated the Ravens would win, rush for over 200 yards, and run the ball into the end zone three times. As predicted, Baltimore took advantage of a shoddy Dallas defense en route to their first win of the season.

Loser: Double digit-leads in the fourth quarter

There's just something about the Ravens up by double digits in the fourth quarter. It's almost as if they don't like them. Last week against the Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth to lose the game. This week, up 22 points going into the fourth, the Ravens narrowly escaped by three points. This team needs to solve their fourth-quarter woes to be competitive.

Loser: Justin Tucker stans

Kicker Justin Tucker’s 48-yard miss stands out, especially in a season where kicking has been exceptional—highlighted by Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey’s 65-yarder earlier in the game. With a career 89.31% accuracy from 40-49 yards, expectations were high for him to nail that kick. Despite the relatively long distance, it’s one fan and Tucker himself expect to convert. He’ll need to regain his form moving forward.

Loser: Fans who dislike laundry

If you're someone who hates doing laundry, yesterday's game wasn't for you. There was laundry all over the field, albeit in yellow flag form. The Ravens had 13 penalties accepted against them. They need to clean up the way they play football. While the refs could have held their whistles on a couple of calls, the Ravens are playing horrifically undisciplined football so far.

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