The Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens will square off in a must-see Week 3 matchup, as both teams try to pick themselves up off the mat after surprising losses on Sunday. The Ravens are 0-2 for the first time since 2015, and the Cowboys are looking to stay ahead in the NFC East after a blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints.
Despite the high stakes this weekend, Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons still showed respect to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson during game week, according to Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints.
“Micah Parsons says Lamar Jackson is probably the best dual-threat quarterback in the NFL,” Mistretta reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Parsons also said that he “admires everything Lamar Jackson has accomplished in the NFL,” per Mistretta.
Of course, that mutual respect won’t stop two of the league’s best from going at it on Sunday, as the Cowboys try to get back on a playoff pace and the Ravens attempt to salvage their season after a shocking 0-2 start.
Who needs Sunday’s game more: the Cowboys or the Ravens?
Both the Cowboys and the Ravens are in desperate need of a victory when the two storied franchises meet on Sunday in Dallas. The Cowboys were humiliated at home last weekend by the Saints, who moved the ball up and down the field in a 44-19 blowout. Baltimore blew a 10-point second half lead against the Las Vegas Raiders to drop to 0-2 in a stunning turn of events.
Both teams badly need a win on Sunday to get back on track, but the Ravens are the more desperate team.
If the Cowboys drop to 1-2, they can still recover from it. The NFC East has two non-competitive teams in the Giants and the Commanders, and the Cowboys will still be well within striking distance after the Eagles’ stunning loss on Monday Night Football.
On the other hand, an 0-3 start to the season for the Ravens would almost certainly be crippling. Baltimore plays in one of the most competitive divisions in football, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are already off to a 2-0 start. A difficult division combined with a first-place schedule means that there are almost no holes in the Baltimore schedule.
After the trip to Dallas they will take on the Buffalo Bills before heading to Cincinnati for a divisional matchup with the Bengals. If they drop this one on Sunday, 0-5 is very much on the table for John Harbaugh and company.
What looked like a blockbuster matchup between Super Bowl contenders before the season has quickly turned into a fight for survival in just Week 3. But while the Cowboys still have a little more rope to grab, the Ravens are running out of time quickly.
