Ravens hang on to beat Cowboys

While Baltimore’s offense produced 31 points and 481 total yards, there is concern on Baltimore Beatdown over the lack of defense on Sunday afternoon.

The problem on defense for the Ravens centered on stopping the Cowboys’ running game. Dallas racked up 227 rushing yards on 42 attempts for a 5.2 yards-per-carry average. Baltimore was uncharacteristically beaten in the trenches more often than not, and had trouble bringing down the ball carrier all game.

KD Drummond of Blogging The Boys recounts the frustrating end to a fairly well-played football game:

They could have spiked the ball with 15 seconds left and tried to get closer. A riskier option, but still better than doing nothing, they could have called the timeout and thrown to the sidelines. Anything would have been a better option then simply running the clock down to six seconds and calling a timeout for a 51-yard attempt.

Lewis has been his typical flying-around-the-field self so far this year for the Ravens, despite being 37 years old. He accumulated 14 tackles against the Cowboys before leaving with the injury and 43 on the season, along with a sack.

The Ravens hung on to defeat the Dallas Cowboys, 31-29, as a Dan Bailey game-winning field goal sailed left to preserve the Baltimore win. The Cowboys put together an offensive flurry in the final two minutes, scoring a touchdown and recovering an onside kick. On their final possession, a pass interference call moved the Cowboys into field goal range but some curious clock management forced them to settle for the 51-yard attempt by Bailey. The field goal would have tied his career long, but it was wide left almost as soon as it left his foot.

As a team, the Cowboys finished with 227 yards on the ground. Murray had 93 yards rushing before leaving with the injury, and Jones added 92 yards on 18 carries.

Stars don’t do that.

Man we gotta kick a field goal, man. Fine, let’s close this lead down to four and then get the ball back, man. Then you give me the ball and I’m gonna score. Okay, field goal is good. Let’s just kick this ball off and get the ball back, already.

This is the second injury the Ravens’ defense has sustained today, after Ladarius Webb left Sunday’s game earlier-- also with a sprained knee. Baltimore’s offense is keeping the game close but, without Webb and now Ngata, they are a vulnerable team.

Both the Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens will be looking to break three-game ATS losing streaks when they meet at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore this Sunday.

Baltimore is a 3.5-point favorite at most online sportsbooks and they own a 4-0 SU and ATS streak against Dallas. But Dallas is coming off a bye week, a situation where they have dominated against the spread (11-3 ATS past 14 seasons).