Ravens vs Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro came down to the last second of the clock, and Baltimore needed only seven of them. After Brandon Aubrey tied the game 31-31 with seven seconds left, Lamar Jackson found Zay Flowers for 27 yards, called timeout with one second showing, and Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired. Baltimore won 34-31 at the Maracanã on Sunday in front of an announced crowd of 72,792, according to ESPN.
It was the NFL’s first game in Rio and the league’s third regular season game in Brazil. The win lifts the Ravens to 2-1, while the Cowboys fall to 1-2.
The seven second drive, step by step
Dallas had done almost everything right on its final possession. Dak Prescott moved the Cowboys downfield, and a pass interference call on Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins with 23 seconds left put the ball at the Baltimore 2. Then a false start pushed Dallas back to the 7, and the Cowboys settled for Aubrey’s 23-yard kick to tie it.
That left Baltimore with seven seconds and a long way to go. Here’s why that was still enough. In the NFL, the clock stops the moment a team calls timeout, so a completed pass inside the field of play doesn’t end the game if the offense gets the timeout in fast. Jackson hit Flowers to reach the Dallas 38, the Ravens stopped the clock with a single second left, and that one second was all Loop needed for a kick from 56 yards. “I just had to deliver the baby,” Jackson said of the throw, per ESPN.
Key numbers from the Maracanã
| Stat | Ravens | Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 34 | 31 |
| Record after Week 3 | 2-1 | 1-2 |
| Starting QB | Jackson: 15 of 20, 186 yds, 2 TD | Prescott: 25 of 40, 276 yds, 1 TD |
| Top rusher | Derrick Henry: 26 carries, 89 yds, 2 TD | Javonte Williams: 19 carries, 98 yds, 1 TD |
| Top receiver | Zay Flowers: 5 catches, 84 yds | CeeDee Lamb: 7 catches, 112 yds |
| Deciding kick | Tyler Loop, 56 yds at 0:00 | Brandon Aubrey, 23 yds at 0:07 |
Figures from ESPN’s box score and the Cowboys’ official game recap. Jackson also ran for 50 yards.
How the lead changed hands
This one swung all afternoon. Dallas jumped out 10-0 in the first quarter on an Aubrey field goal and a short Javonte Williams touchdown run. Henry answered with two rushing scores, one late in the first and one early in the second, and a Loop field goal made it 17-10 before Aubrey’s kick closed the half at 17-13.
Jackson’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore stretched the Ravens’ lead to 24-13 in the third quarter, but Prescott found Jake Ferguson from 19 yards and hit Lamb on the two-point try to make it 24-21. KaVontae Turpin’s 9-yard run gave Dallas a 28-24 lead with 9:42 left. Baltimore went back in front at 31-28 on Jackson’s 2-yard throw to tight end Matt Hibner with 1:30 left, which set up the frantic finish.
There were big defensive moments on both sides too. Cowboys rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham stopped Henry for a loss on fourth and 1 at the goal line, while Baltimore’s Keondre Jackson blocked a 59-yard Aubrey attempt in the third quarter. That blocked kick ended up being worth exactly the margin of victory.
Henry passes Eric Dickerson
Henry’s two touchdowns weren’t the only milestone of his day. An early second quarter run moved him into ninth place on the NFL’s career rushing list, past Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson and his 13,259 yards. For Dallas, the positives were the running game and Lamb, who topped 100 receiving yards, but the defense also lost safety Jalen Thompson to a hamstring injury in the second quarter.
What’s next for the Ravens and Cowboys
Both teams are back in the United States next week. Baltimore hosts the Tennessee Titans at M&T Bank Stadium at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 4. Dallas heads to Houston to face the Texans, also at 1pm ET on Sunday, October 4, according to the NFL’s official Week 4 schedule.
For another Week 3 result, read our report on Patriots vs Jaguars and Drake Maye’s benching.
