Ravens vs. Cowboys Preview: Desperation In Big D

The Baltimore Ravens badly need to get back on track when they face the Dallas Cowboys.

Dec 8, 2020; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs away from Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith (54) in the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images / Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

No one before the season would've thought that the Baltimore Ravens would be in the position they are.

Following losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, the Ravens are 0-2 for the first time since 2015. As a result, Sunday's road clash against the Dallas Cowboys is about as close to a must-win game in Week 3 as possible. After all, no team that started 0-3 has ever won the Super Bowl, and only one team this century - the 2018 Houston Texans - has made the playoffs after such a poor start.

The Cowboys are also hungry for a win, as they just suffered a 44-19 beatdown at the hands of the New Orleans Saints last week. Now with their backs against the wall, they'll have to prove they're the hungrier team on the field.

"We're focusing on the task at hand," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday. "There's a long-term understanding of what we need to accomplish and there's a short-term focus which is right now – this week. That is always the focus, [and] it needs to be the focus in this league – it's a one-week league. We have to do everything we can to play our best football that we're capable of right now."

As has been the case all season, Baltimore's offensive line will be under heavy scrutiny once again. The Ravens have struggled against star pass rushers Chris Jones and Maxx Crosby, and now they face another one of the game's best in Dallas' Micah Parsons. The offensive line is still very much finding its footing, and the Ravens could turn to some creative solutions to keep Parsons in check.

"Shoot, this is the NFL, so every team is going to have an elite pass rusher, but specifically [for] Micah – the challenges he presents, his skillset, being explosive, being that speed guy off the edge and using his quickness and using his explosiveness helps him," center Tyler Linderbaum said Thursday. "And it's going to be a challenge. Our tackles know that, but we're excited for the opportunity. We have to have a great week of practice and just have a gameplan ready for him."

Elsewhere on offense, the Ravens will look to get Derrick Henry rolling early and often. The former Offensive Player of the Year hasn't looked quite like his peak self in his first two games for baltimore, but facing a Dallas defense that just allowed 190 rushing yards and 4.9 yards per attempt could be just what he needs to get going.

On defense, all the focus will be on the Cowboys' dynamic passing attack led by Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Davante Adams had his way with the Ravens' secondary last week, so keeping Lamb under wraps is a must.

"Obviously, you know about him, you hear about him, he's one of the premier players in this league, but just really diving in and watching him on tape, I've been really impressed with him," defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. "He's really good. I think the lesson that we take is that when you have these guys at receiver, a guy like CeeDee Lamb, they can change the game in an instant. We're definitely going to have to have a plan, and we're going to have to execute that plan at the highest level to try to contain a guy like that."

Kickoff from AT&T Stadium is set for 4:25 p.m., and nearly the entire country will be watching.

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