3 ‘what if’ moments from the Cowboys loss to the Ravens

It's tempting to play the "what if" game after a Dallas Cowboys loss. Early on, the Baltimore Ravens set the tone, but at times, it seemed like the Cowboys were starting to build momentum to answer back.

Unfortunately, a lack of toughness, a few bad plays, and some penalties stalled what could have been a different outcome. Playing this game doesn't excuse any loss or guarantee things will be better. However, here are three moments from the game that could have changed the scoreboard if they had been different.

3. What if the Cowboys offense doesn’t commit penalties on their opening drive?

After winning the coin toss, Mike McCarthy decided to set the tone early with his offense instead of his usual “double-dip” approach, scoring before the half and then starting the second half with the ball.

On the offense’s fifth play of the game, it was a short third and one, Dak Prescott took it up the middle for an easy first down. But hold on a second. The referee called a false start on rookie tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, thus nullifying the first down.

Well, the Cowboys converted on the next play and got to their 33-yard line, then again, another false start penalty on the offense from Jake Ferguson that turned it from third and ten to third and fifteen. The next pass is incomplete, and they are forced to punt.

In the FOX booth, Tom Brady criticized the Cowboys' offense for struggling on their opening drive and having two false start penalties at home. Who knows if the offense can go down and score, but after not keeping up with the New Orleans Saints the week prior, you wonder what could have happened if they had put Baltimore in a position to play catch-up instead of Dallas.

2. What if the Cowboys scored before the end of the first quarter?

After Brandon Aubrey’s historic 65-yard kick gave them three points on the second drive, the Ravens marched down the field a second time and scored another touchdown, leading 14-3.

With things looking like they did in Week 2 against New Orleans, it already felt like quarterback Dak Prescott needed to go blow-for-blow with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense. The Cowboys hit on two chunk plays to Jake Ferguson for a 24-yard reception and a pass to CeeDee Lamb for 18 yards.

After not getting big plays on their first two drives, the offense was humming, and they made it to the Ravens nine-yard line as the first quarter ended. After the TV timeout, things went downhill. On the first play of the second quarter, Tyler Smith got called for a holding penalty, moving the offense back ten yards. On the next play, Prescott hit Lamb in stride, but Ravens rookie corner Nate Wiggins punched the ball out, and Baltimore recovered.

Even if Dallas doesn’t score a touchdown and makes it 14-6 with a field goal, it's a one-score game. However, the way the offense got to this point felt like they could have made it a 14-10 game and kept things closer.

On the Raven's drive following the fumble, the defense forced the first Baltimore punt of the game, looking to figure things out. It would have been a huge confidence boost for the offense and defense to get on the same page and maybe take the lead at some point before the half.

1. What if the Dallas defense didn’t let Baltimore score on their first possession of the second half?

When the Saints were up 35-16 at halftime in Week 2, it felt like the Cowboys had an impossible hole to climb out of to come back and win the game. When Dallas was down 21-6, they still had a chance to squeak out a win if they just stopped the Ravens on their opening possession of the second half.

However, it was more of the same, and the Baltimore offense marched into Cowboys territory in just six plays. On their seventh, running back Derrick Henry rumbled in for a touchdown on a 26-yard carry and made it 28-6.

Despite the promising start, that touchdown would be the last one Baltimore scored for the day. The Dallas defense responded by giving their offense opportunities to score, and things started to get better for Cowboys defenders, especially in the fourth quarter. However, it's puzzling why they couldn't show the same improvement at the beginning of the third quarter when the Ravens scored. They seemed to come out flatfooted and let Henry run all over them.

If the defense had the same intensity they showed in the fourth quarter at the start of the second half, maybe Baltimore wouldn't have scored for the rest of the game. This could have allowed the Cowboys to score and make it 21-13, putting them within one possession of the lead.