The NFL is officially back in Brazil for its third consecutive season, but this year brings a major change. After two successful years in São Paulo, the league is making its regular-season debut in Rio de Janeiro at the legendary Maracanã stadium.
Instead of the usual Friday night international window, this marquee matchup kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday. Both the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys enter the contest sitting at a disappointing 1-1, turning an exciting international spectacle into a critical early-season test.
The Battle in the Trenches
One of the most compelling storylines heading into Sunday is Baltimore running back Derrick Henry. "Tractorcito" has racked up 212 rushing yards and four touchdowns through two weeks. However, the Ravens' offensive strategy came under scrutiny after Henry received just five carries in the second half of their Week 2 collapse against the Saints.
A matchup against the Dallas defense might provide the ultimate bounce-back opportunity. Through two games, the Cowboys rank 30th in rushing yards allowed per class (173.5) and are dead last in third-down conversion rate allowed at 68.0%. Forcing Dallas to stop a physical runner like Henry while keeping tabs on dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson presents a daunting task for coordinator Christian Parker's struggling unit.
Can Dallas Exploit Baltimore's Secondary?
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys feature a high-powered offense orchestrated by Brian Schottenheimer. After a sluggish Week 1 opener, Dallas bounced back by scoring on seven of eight drives against Washington.
To keep pace, Dak Prescott and weapons like CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens will need to target a Baltimore secondary that looked vulnerable against the pass in Week 2.
However, the key battle will be upfront. Baltimore boasts the fifth-highest pressure rate in the league (43.8%) and leads the NFL in third-down pressure percentage. If the Ravens can force Prescott into long-yardage situations, it could spell trouble for the Cowboys' offense.
Play-Action Mayhem
Another critical factor to watch is the effectiveness of play-action passing. Lamar Jackson leads the NFL with 229 yards on play-action completions, alongside 36 scramble rushing yards.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense has struggled significantly against play-action, yielding high separation rates to opposing receivers and a league-high 61 scramble yards. If Baltimore successfully establishes the run early, Jackson could have plenty of room to exploit Dallas through the air and on the ground in South America.
