The Baltimore Ravens came into Week 3 against the Dallas Cowboys needing a win. Even though Baltimore is 0-2, they've shown signs of being an elite team. They've gotten a lot of flack for not utilizing the run game in their losses, calling into question the coaching acumen.
On Sunday afternoon against the Cowboys, the noise changed. The narrative surrounding the Ravens suddenly shifted from pessimism to sheer optimism as the Purple and Black came out running on all cylinders.
Lamar Jackson reminds Dallas, rest of NFL, how great the Ravens offense can be
On the Ravens' first drive of the game, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and co. did exactly what they needed to do - they ran the ball all over Dallas and put up a touchdown in their opening drive. The drive took all of five plays, clocking in at two minutes and 27 seconds, culminating in an easy Lamar Jackson nine-yard touchdown run.
Lamar Jackson is a very fast man pic.twitter.com/thhplmtCnI
— DubClub (@DubClub_win) September 22, 2024
The Ravens' offense not only ran the ball with Jackson incredibly well, but several others contributed to the success of their opening drive. Recently extended running back Justice Hill hit the hole for a 17-yard gain. Derrick Henry also added a couple of carries for some tough rushing yards.
The offense really hit its stride on a 30-yard pass from Jackson to tight end Charlie Kolar, who took the pass and led the Ravens down to the nine-yard line. From there, Jackson took it upon himself to punch in the first score of the game for the Ravens with a nine-yard run.
In their second drive of the game, the Ravens got right back to business. Lamar Jackson linked up with veteran wide receiver Nelson Agholor on a 56-yard catch and run. Agholor broke a tackle from Cowboys cornerback Caelen Carson and took it all the way down to Dallas' two-yard line.
#Ravens NELSON AGHOLOR 🚀 pic.twitter.com/ZflUenNQoO
— RoBroMedia (@RoBroMedia) September 22, 2024
From there, the Ravens went back to the ground game and powered the football into the end zone to give the Ravens their second touchdown of the first quarter.
So far, it's a wonderful start to the Ravens offense as they look like they're really gelling. On the day, they've run 12 plays for 140 yards and two touchdowns in six minutes and 19 seconds. There is still so much time left in the game - it'll be interesting to see if they can continue to capitalize on a suspect Dallas Cowboys defense.