You don’t get a Dallas Cowboys vs Baltimore Ravens matchup very often – Dallas and Baltimore sit in separate conferences, so the schedule rotation only pairs them up every four years or so. Today, September 27, 2026, is one of those rare dates, except this time it isn’t happening at AT&T Stadium or M&T Bank Stadium at all. It’s happening at the legendary Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game on Brazilian soil.
The Cowboys walk in as one of the most recognizable, most-valuable franchises in professional sports, still leaning on Dak Prescott and a retooled receiving corps to carry the offense. The Ravens walk in as one of the toughest, most physical teams in football, built around the dual-threat brilliance of Lamar Jackson and the ageless power of Derrick Henry. Calling this a “rivalry” is a stretch, honestly – these two have only played seven times since 2000 – but a Baltimore Ravens vs Dallas Cowboys game has a way of turning into something worth remembering anyway.
So here’s what matters going in: where each team stands right now, how the series has actually played out over the past 25 years, a look back at the last time they met, how to catch today’s game, and some quick FAQs to wrap things up.
Dallas Cowboys: Retooling on Defense Around Dak Prescott
Dallas hasn’t blown up its offensive approach. Dak Prescott remains the engine, and the front office has spent the past couple of years assembling one of the more dangerous receiving groups in the league around him. Where the Cowboys have genuinely reshaped themselves is on defense, where losing their best player forced a full rebuild that’s still finding its footing under first-year-in-full head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The Cowboys made the seismic decision to trade star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, a move that reshaped the roster and required Dallas to reinvest heavily in its front seven. Dak Prescott continues to anchor the offense, coming off an 85.4 PFF passing grade last season, and he now has one of the most complete receiving duos in the NFL in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Pickens, in his first season in Dallas, finished third in the entire league in receiving yards with 1,429 despite ranking just eighth in total catches – proof of just how explosive he can be down the field.
What Makes Dallas’s Offense Tick
- Dak Prescott spreading the ball across a deep receiving room – Micah Parsons himself has publicly predicted that his former quarterback could lead the NFL in passing touchdowns this season, crediting the Lamb-Pickens combination as the difference-maker
- CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens giving Dallas arguably the best one-two punch at receiver in the league
- A defense still finding its identity – Dallas added edge rusher Rashan Gary, safety Caleb Downs, and first-round pass rusher Malachi Lawrence this offseason to replace the production lost when Parsons was traded
- Second-year edge defender Donovan Ezeiruaku, who racked up 36 pressures on 343 pass-rushing snaps as a rookie, entering the season as a breakout candidate
- An offensive line that continues to give Prescott the time he needs, anchored by veterans like Zack Martin and Tyler Smith
Dallas Cowboys Snapshot
| Detail | |
| Division | NFC East |
| Franchise QB | Dak Prescott |
| Head coach | Brian Schottenheimer (1st full season) |
| Owner/GM | Jerry Jones |
| Identity | Explosive passing attack, defense in transition |
| Recent form | Missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons |
| 2026 season start | 1-1 after a 28-20 loss at the Giants, then a 37-20 win over Washington |
Dallas opened the season on the road with a tough loss in New York before responding in a big way at home against Washington. That 1-1 mark sets up today’s Cowboys vs Ravens showdown in Brazil as an early measuring-stick game for a team trying to prove last season’s disappointment was a blip and not a trend.
Baltimore Ravens: Still Built Around Lamar and Henry
Baltimore’s identity hasn’t changed much over the years, and that’s very much by design. Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and a physical, run-heavy approach remain the foundation of everything the Ravens do, with John Harbaugh – now in his 19th season at the helm – still one of the most respected head coaches in professional football.
Jackson is tied for the best career passer rating in NFL history and holds the all-time record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback. He battled through lower-body injuries during a somewhat disappointing 2025 season, finishing with 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across 13 starts. A fully healthy Jackson changes the entire math of this offense, and Baltimore has restructured his contract this offseason in part to create the cap flexibility to build a stronger roster around him.
What Makes Baltimore’s Offense Tick
- Lamar Jackson’s rare dual-threat ability, capable of beating you with his arm on one snap and his legs on the next
- Derrick Henry still churning out big games on the ground – he’s rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his last five healthy seasons and directly torched this exact opponent in their last meeting
- Zay Flowers as Jackson’s top target, though he’s currently dealing with a hamstring issue, with veteran Rashod Bateman stepping up in his absence
- Tight end Mark Andrews remaining a reliable safety valve underneath
- A defense anchored by linebacker Roquan Smith, reinforced this offseason with the addition of All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson
Baltimore Ravens Snapshot
| Detail | |
| Division | AFC North |
| Franchise QB | Lamar Jackson |
| Head coach | John Harbaugh (19th season) |
| GM | Eric DeCosta |
| Identity | Physical run game, dual-threat QB, defense-first mentality |
| Recent form | Two Super Bowl titles under the franchise’s history; five playoff berths in the last six seasons with Jackson starting |
| 2026 season start | 1-1 after a 41-23 win at Indianapolis, then a 24-17 home loss to New Orleans |
Baltimore’s Week 2 setback against the Saints came down to the final minutes – New Orleans scored the go-ahead touchdown on a quarterback sneak with 1:28 remaining, and Baltimore’s response ended when safety Julian Blackmon intercepted Jackson near the goal line. It wasn’t the start the Ravens wanted, and today’s trip to Rio is a chance to get back on track.
NFL Schedule This Week (Week 3, 2026)
Kickoff for today’s Dallas Cowboys vs Baltimore Ravens game is set for 4:25 p.m. ET (3:25 p.m. CT) on CBS and Paramount+, with mobile coverage available through NFL+, live from Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It’s one of a record nine international games the NFL is playing during the 2026 season, alongside London, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Munich, and Paris.
| Team | Next Matchup | Date | Location |
| Dallas Cowboys | at Houston Texans | Sun, Oct 4 | Away |
| Baltimore Ravens | vs Tennessee Titans | Sun, Oct 4 | Home |
Both franchises head straight back into their normal schedules once the trip to Brazil wraps up. Baltimore returns to M&T Bank Stadium to host Tennessee before a marquee Sunday Night Football trip to Atlanta in Week 5, while Dallas heads to Houston for an in-state, cross-conference test in Week 4.
Head-to-Head History: The Full Timeline
This series only goes back to 2000, and Baltimore has dominated almost the entire way through.
| Date | Winner | Location | Score | Notes |
| 09/22/2024 | Ravens | Away | 28-25 | Derrick Henry runs for 151 yards, 2 TD |
| 12/08/2020 | Ravens | Home | 34-17 | Only Tuesday night game in Ravens history |
| 11/20/2016 | Cowboys | Away | 27-17 | Only Cowboys win in series history |
| 10/14/2012 | Ravens | Home | 31-29 | Thriller during Baltimore’s Super Bowl run |
| 12/20/2008 | Ravens | Away | 33-24 | Le’Ron McClain and Willis McGahee each rush for 100+ yards |
| 11/21/2004 | Ravens | Home | 30-10 | Ravens score 30 unanswered points in the second half |
| 11/20/2000 | Ravens | Home | 27-0 | Jamal Lewis rushes for 187 yards in a rookie-record day |
Since the Ravens became a franchise in 1996, Dallas is the one team Baltimore had never lost to across their first four meetings – the Cowboys’ lone win, back in 2016, remains the outlier in an otherwise lopsided all-time series.
A Few Things Worth Pointing Out
- Baltimore leads the all-time Ravens vs Cowboys series 6-1
- Zero playoff meetings between these two franchises – every single game has come in the regular season
- Dallas hasn’t beaten Baltimore since that 2016 game at AT&T Stadium
- Under Harbaugh specifically, the Ravens are 3-1 against Dallas, splitting 1-1 when the game has been played in Texas
- Today’s game is the first time these two franchises have ever met outside the United States, and the first time either team has played a regular-season game in South America
Two Eras of the Rivalry
Break it down and this series really falls into two distinct stretches.
Era 1: Total Domination (2000-2012) Baltimore swept all four meetings during this run, and few were competitive. The 27-0 shutout in 2000 remains the most lopsided result in series history, and the Ravens’ defense was the story in nearly every one of these games.
Era 2: A Little More Competitive (2016-Present) Dallas finally broke through in 2016 behind a rookie Dak Prescott and a rookie Ezekiel Elliott. Baltimore has won the two meetings since, but both have been legitimately tight, one-score games decided in the fourth quarter – a sign that these two rosters, whenever they do cross paths, tend to be much closer than the lopsided all-time record suggests.
The Last Time These Two Teams Met: Ravens 28, Cowboys 25 (Sept. 22, 2024)
With today’s game still to be decided, the 2024 meeting is the best snapshot available – and it was much closer than the final score line might suggest at first glance.
Baltimore jumped out to a commanding 28-6 lead behind big performances from both Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, only for Dallas to mount a serious fourth-quarter rally that included a rare successful onside kick recovery. Jackson delivered a clutch third-down completion to Zay Flowers to help seal it, then put the game away for good with a 10-yard scrambling run off a nifty fake.
Passing Leaders
- Dak Prescott (DAL): 28-of-51, 379 yards, 2 TD
- Lamar Jackson (BAL): 12-of-15, 182 yards, 1 TD passing, plus 87 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
Rushing Leaders
- Derrick Henry (BAL): 151 yards, 2 TD on 25 carries
- Lamar Jackson (BAL): 87 yards, 1 TD
Notable Scoring Plays
- Rashod Bateman hauled in a 13-yard touchdown pass, left wide open in the end zone
- Jalen Tolbert added a 15-yard touchdown grab for Dallas late in the fourth quarter to keep the comeback alive
- Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey drilled a 65-yard field goal in the game, just one yard shy of the NFL record held by Baltimore’s own Justin Tucker
That game came during a Baltimore campaign that ultimately ended with a trip to the AFC Championship Game, while Dallas’s late rally wasn’t quite enough to erase an early hole dug by a defense that, at the time, was still without its long-term answers up front – the very issue Dallas has spent this offseason trying to fix ahead of today’s rematch.
Where Both Teams Stand Entering Today’s Game
Two weeks into the 2026 season, the numbers paint an interesting picture heading into this Cowboys vs Ravens clash.
| Stat | Baltimore Ravens | Dallas Cowboys |
| Points Per Game | 29 (7th in NFL) | 28.5 (8th in NFL) |
| Yards Per Game | 409 (4th in NFL) | 288 (24th in NFL) |
| Time of Possession | 31:17 (13th in NFL) | 25:55 (30th in NFL) |
| Total Defensive Sacks | 5 (11th in NFL) | 2 (29th in NFL) |
| Turnover Differential | +0 (17th in NFL) | +1 (12th in NFL) |
Dallas is scoring nearly as many points as Baltimore despite gaining far fewer total yards – a boom-or-bust profile built around explosive plays rather than long, sustained drives. Baltimore’s clear edges in total yardage, time of possession, and pass-rush production could end up being the deciding factors if the Cowboys’ offensive line can’t hold up against a deeper, more disciplined Ravens front seven.
Coaching Matchup: Schottenheimer vs. Harbaugh
These two have never coached against each other before, and it’s a matchup between two very different points in a coaching career. Harbaugh has been running Baltimore for nearly two decades and remains one of the most respected, most consistent coaches in the sport, having led the Ravens to the playoffs in 11 of his first 18 seasons. Schottenheimer, by contrast, is only in his first full season leading Dallas, tasked with steadying a defense that lost its best player a year ago while keeping one of the league’s most talented offenses humming.
| Factor | Dallas (Schottenheimer) | Baltimore (Harbaugh) |
| Experience level | 1st full season as Cowboys head coach | 19th season, two-time Super Bowl champion |
| Team identity | Explosive passing attack, defense rebuilding | Physical run game, defense-first mentality |
| Key offseason move | Traded Micah Parsons, restocked the defensive front | Reworked Lamar Jackson’s contract, signed Trey Hendrickson |
| Program status | Retooling around an established franchise QB | Established, perennial AFC contender |
At the end of the day, this comparison says more about where each organization currently sits than it does about play-calling – an established program trying to defend its standing against a program trying to rebuild on the fly around a core that’s already proven it can win.
Betting Angle: What the Odds Say
Given Baltimore’s dominant recent history in this series and its clear statistical edges through two weeks, it’s no surprise the Ravens are favored today. Odds via Caesars Sportsbook had Baltimore at -3 (-104) against Dallas at +3 (-115), with the Ravens a -157 moneyline favorite compared to Dallas’s +132, and the total sitting at 52.5 points.
That number leans heavily on recent history and this season’s early form rather than any long-term trend, given how tight the last two meetings between these teams have actually been. Worth noting for anyone tracking betting trends: Baltimore is 3-2 against the spread in its last five meetings with Dallas, and the OVER has hit in four of the last five games between these two teams – a pattern that lines up neatly with how competitive and high-scoring these matchups have turned out to be in the modern era of the rivalry.
Cowboys vs Ravens Prediction: What to Watch For
Nobody can predict football with total certainty, but a few clear storylines figure to decide today’s outcome. First is the health and rhythm of the two star quarterbacks. If Lamar Jackson is moving well and able to extend plays with his legs, Baltimore’s offense becomes exponentially tougher to defend, especially against a Dallas pass rush still searching for consistency after the Micah Parsons trade. On the other side, if Dak Prescott can get the ball out quickly to Lamb and Pickens before Baltimore’s pass rush gets home, the Cowboys have more than enough firepower to keep this one close.
The second major factor is Derrick Henry. Given his history of running over this exact opponent – he’s the biggest reason the Ravens won the last meeting – containing Henry on early downs has to be priority number one for Dallas’s defensive coaches. If the Cowboys can force Baltimore into obvious passing situations, it plays in their favor. If Henry gets rolling early the way he did in 2024, expect a long, grinding afternoon that favors Baltimore’s ball-control approach.
Ravens vs Cowboys Prediction: What to Watch For
Finally, don’t discount the unusual environment. Playing at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro introduces variables – international travel, an unfamiliar setting, a loud and unpredictable atmosphere – that don’t typically factor into a normal NFL Sunday. Both organizations have spent extra time this week adjusting to the trip, and how well. Each side manages the logistics of an international game could matter just as much as the Xs and Os once the ball is actually kicked off.
Given Baltimore’s historical dominance in this series, its statistical edges through two weeks. Derrick Henry’s track record specifically against Dallas, there’s a reasonable case for the Ravens. Extending their 6-1 all-time lead in this Cowboys vs Ravens series today. That said, Dallas’s improved receiving corps and Dak Prescott’s own MVP-caliber upside make this far from a lock, and a game of this magnitude, on a stage this big, has the makings of a genuine classic either way.
Where to Watch Dallas Cowboys vs Baltimore Ravens
- National broadcast: CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET / 3:25 p.m. CT
- Streaming: Paramount+ carries the game live, with NFL+ covering fans on mobile
- Location: Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Dallas Cowboys local coverage: 105.3 The Fan
- Baltimore Ravens local coverage: 98 Rock (97.9 FM)
Given how rarely these two franchises meet, and given that this is the first-ever regular-season NFL game played in Brazil, this isn’t a matchup – or a venue – you’re likely to see again for a long while.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Dallas heads back to the United States to face the Houston Texans in Week 4, looking to carry over any positive momentum from Brazil while a still-developing defense continues to search for its identity in the post-Parsons era. The Cowboys’ broader schedule includes the usual NFC East gauntlet against Philadelphia, the Giants, and Washington, along with the standard rotation against AFC West and NFC South opponents this cycle.
Baltimore, meanwhile, returns to M&T Bank Stadium to host Tennessee in Week 4 before a high-profile Sunday Night Football trip to Atlanta in Week 5. With the AFC North as competitive as ever, every early-season result – including today’s game against Dallas – carries real weight for Baltimore’s eventual playoff seeding.
Neither team’s season hinges entirely on today’s outcome, but for a Cowboys team trying to snap a two-year playoff drought and a Ravens team looking to move past a shaky 1-1 start, this one carries plenty of early-season stakes on both sides.
Check Highlights: New Orleans Saints vs Las Vegas Raiders | Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Rams
Quick FAQs
Baltimore, by a wide margin – the Ravens hold a 6-1 edge across seven all-time meetings between the two franchises.
No. All seven meetings between these two teams have come in the regular season.
September 22, 2024, when the Ravens beat the Cowboys 28-25 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
November 20, 2016, a 27-17 win in Dallas – still the only Cowboys victory in series history.
Different conferences and the NFL’s scheduling rotation mean these two franchises typically meet only once every four years or so.
Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game there – with kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.
A rematch of the 2023 NFL MVP finalists at quarterback, Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson, now playing out on an entirely new international stage.
Both are former MVP finalists, but Jackson holds the edge as a two-time NFL MVP, backed by a proven supporting cast in Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers.
Source: ESPN
