The Cowboys offense came close to a comeback, but couldn’t beat the Ravens’ early lead.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Derrick Henry ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns, Lamar Jackson accounted for two scores and the Baltimore Ravens held on for a 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The Ravens (1-2) scored touchdowns on their first two drives, running and throwing with ease while emphatically responding to the first 0-2 start since 2015 for a franchise coming off a trip to the AFC championship game.
“Overall, Baltimore did a successful job, let’s put it like that, on both sides of the ball,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “We got outplayed today.”
The Cowboys (1-2) have allowed 120 points in their past three home games, including a 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay in January that ended Dallas’ 16-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium.
Brandon Aubrey kicked a 65-yard field goal for the Cowboys, 1 yard shy of the NFL record from 2021 held by the kicker on the other sideline, Baltimore’s Justin Tucker.
Just as in last week’s 44-19 loss to New Orleans, the Cowboys needed more than field goals because of their porous defense.
“You know it’s all frustrating. Having a game plan but not following a game plan,” Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence said. “Once we get out of playing little league football and get back to playing pro football we’ll be alright.”
The touchdowns eventually came for Dallas. They were just a little late.
The Cowboys trailed 28-6 midway through the fourth quarter when Dak Prescott scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak and C.J. Griffin recovered the onside kick.
Jalen Tolbert’s 15-yard catch made it 28-18 before the Cowboys missed again on the 2-point conversion try.
Baltimore’s Zay Flowers recovered Dallas’ second onside kick after whiffing on the first, but the Ravens went three-and-out.
The Cowboys kicked deep after KaVontae Turpin’s 16-yard scoring catch cut the deficit to three, but Jackson had a clutch throw to Flowers on third down, then a clinching 10-yard run on a keeper that included a nifty fake as the Ravens ran off the final 2:53.
Nelson Agholor had a 56-yard catch-and-run to set up Henry’s first touchdown, a 1-yard plunge for a 14-3 lead.
The Ravens opened with a five-play, 71-yard drive capped by Jackson’s 9-yard run, untouched, to the pylon. His first throw of the game was a 30-yarder to uncovered tight end Charlie Kolar.
Henry, who averaged 6 yards on 25 carries, became the first Baltimore back to score at least one touchdown in each of his first three games for the franchise. He added a 23-yard catch.
Henry, who owns a home in Dallas, was signed to a two-year $16 million deal with the Ravens during the off-season this summer.
When reporters asked Jones why Henry wasn’t a free agent target, he responded “We couldn’t afford Derrick Henry.”
A two-time rushing champion in his eight seasons with Tennessee, Henry ran 26 yards for a touchdown and a 28-6 lead on the opening drive of the second half.
Jackson was 12 of 15 for 182 yards with a 13-yard scoring toss to Rashod Bateman standing all alone in the end zone and added 87 yards rushing.
The late Dallas surge put Prescott at 28 of 51 for 379 yards and two touchdowns but once again didn’t have any help from an anemic running game, even before the score got out of hand. Dallas averaged 3.2 yards per carry.
“It just seemed like we couldn’t get out of our own way,” Jones said. “They can take some of what they showed out at the end of that game, and we can go forward with that.”
Cowboys S Markquese Bell injured an ankle in the first half and didn’t return. … Ravens CB Jalyn Armour-Davis injured a hamstring and didn’t return.