Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones used his weekly radio appearance this week to flag a growing problem on defense as the team prepares to face the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil.
The Cowboys and Ravens both sit at 1-1 heading into Sunday’s Week 3 game at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET and will air on CBS. Dallas is listed as the home team for the league’s first regular season game in Brazil.
Jones addressed the run defense Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan.
“I know we all would say that it looks like we’ve had some running on us out there, but we’re better than we were,” Jones said.
He also sent a clear warning to his team before this week’s game.
“That’s a bad matchup. We got our work cut out for us. It’s a rough one,” Jones said. “We’ll be ready for them, but they’re a handful.”
Through two games, Dallas has allowed 347 rushing yards, the third-most in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels combined for 123 rushing yards on 18 carries. Daniels produced 69 yards on seven carries in just two quarters.
Jones added context on the front.
“We’re not getting pushed back as much. At the end of the day, the most important thing is, ‘Can we hold the point?’ And we haven’t been able to the last several years. Hold the point. That takes some bulk. We’ve got that, especially in the middle. We’ve had some growing pains on the outside. You saw New York really take advantage of it, but we’re going to be better there.”
The timing is poor. Baltimore has led the NFL in rushing four times in the last eight seasons and has never finished lower than third in the other four. Dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time league MVP, faces a Dallas unit that has generated only two sacks, tied for the third-fewest in the league.
Running back Derrick Henry has 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 40 carries through two weeks, averaging 5.3 yards per attempt. He ranks near the top of the NFL in both yards and scores on the ground.
The last meeting between the clubs came in 2024, when Henry rushed for 151 yards and the Ravens won 28-25 in Arlington. Baltimore holds a 6-1 edge in the all-time series. Dallas last beat the Ravens in 2016.
Jones praised interior linemen Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark as cornerstones. He called Williams one of the best players in the league and said Clark’s consistency gives the Cowboys a foundation in the middle. Pro Football Focus grades for both players have been modest through two weeks.
The Cowboys’ own ground game has been limited. Dallas is averaging about 67.5 rushing yards per game. Javonte Williams has 71 yards on 24 carries.
Travel adds another layer. The flight to Rio exceeds 10 hours each way. After the game, the Dallas Cowboys return to face the Houston Texans in Week 4. Jones said he is comfortable the field will be ready.
“I’m comfortable that the field will be ready for us,” Jones said. “It’s realistic that we can have a good game on the field.”
Jones also noted he would have preferred Mexico if given a choice.
“If we’re given a legit choice, we prefer Mexico,” he said.
Both clubs have explosive offenses and high-profile quarterbacks. The Ravens rank fourth in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 155. Dallas ranks near the bottom against the run, allowing nearly 175 yards per contest.
Injuries could factor in. Cowboys defensive back P.J. Locke is out with a foot injury. Several Baltimore defenders returned to full participation this week.
Jones has repeatedly tied roster moves, including the trade of Micah Parsons, to improving the run defense. Early results have not matched that goal. The Ravens present one of the stiffest tests of that plan so far this season.
Sunday’s game will test whether the Dallas Cowboys can hold the point against one of the league’s most physical rushing attacks on a neutral field far from Texas.
