Ravens (

28.25) at
Cowboys (

25.25)

Published Sep 24, 2026 · 7:52 PM ET

MJBy MJohnsonBioHide

ABOUT THE WRITER

Mike Johnson has earned more than $500,000 in DFS profit across a wide range of tournament formats. He combines his background in coaching and finance with years of tournament experience to identify market inefficiencies in every matchup.

Go deeper: Building A Sharper Player Pool→

GAME OVERVIEW ::

• After two seasons of hosting an NFL game in Sao Paulo, this game marks the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game staged in Rio de Janeiro, bringing a high-stakes interconference matchup to a global stage.
• Both teams enter Week 3 looking to gain momentum; Dallas is coming off a 37-20 win over Washington, while Baltimore is eager to bounce back from a tough Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
• Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has not practiced yet this week after missing the second half of Week 1 with a hamstring injury and being sidelined for Week 2.
• The Cowboys’ defense has struggled to stop the run early in the season, giving up big yardage to the Giants and Commanders. This week they face a massive test against Baltimore’s elite rushing attack.
• Dallas is unlikely to be efficient running the ball this week as their inefficient rushing attack meets the best defensive front they have seen so far. This means they will rely heavily on their passing game to sustain drives and create chunk plays.
• Which team is able to play from ahead will have a huge impact on the way this game plays out, as the Ravens are built to play with a lead and ill-equipped to play from behind while they are missing Flowers.

HOW BALTIMORE WILL TRY TO WIN::

Baltimore was off to an incredible start in Week 1 and their offense looked unstoppable, but then star wide receiver Zay Flowers suffered a hamstring injury late in the second half. Baltimore coasted to a victory in that game over the Colts and Derrick Henry carried the load in the second half for the Ravens. That Colts defense got shredded again by the Chiefs in Week 2, however, which at this point in the season makes it harder to know whether that season opening performance was truly about Baltimore being awesome or just a result of the matchup. The Colts defense has given up 1,029 yards through two games, the second most in NFL history. Baltimore scored only 10 points in the second half of Week 1 without Flowers and were held to 17 points by the Saints in their Week 2 loss. Flowers missed practice both Wednesday and Thursday this week and seems unlikely to suit up against Dallas.

The absence of Flowers opened up opportunities for Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews in Week 2, which Bateman in particular took advantage of to the tune of seven receptions, 88 yards, and a touchdown. Baltimore built a 14-3 lead over the Saints last week, but stayed a little bit pass happy with their second half play calling which came back to bite them. This week against Dallas the game plan is likely to be very straightforward – get the ball to the “Big Dog,” Derrick Henry. After a dominant performance against the Colts, Henry had a pedestrian outing in Week 2. This week he gets a Dallas defense that ranks 32nd in the NFL in “Stuff Rate,” has allowed 5.1 yards per carry to the Giants and Commanders, and has the 3rd most missed tackles in the league. The Ravens lead the NFL in success rate on rushing plays and are second in the league in EPA per rush. All signs in this one point to Baltimore relying heavily on their running game and building everything else out from there. Expect Henry to carry the ball a minimum of 18 times and don’t be surprised if he sees upwards of 30 opportunities. The Dallas defense is likely to load the box eventually and Baltimore will take some downfield shots to make them pay. Expect a more balanced to run-heavy approach in this game for Baltimore due to the matchup as well as the absence of Flowers.

DFS+ Interpretations::

Added Sep 24, 2026 · 7:52 PM ET