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Week 3 has become a must win for 2 playoff contenders

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This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Week 3 - DAL vs BAL

After the first two weeks of the season, I can tell you I did not think the Cowboys and Ravens would have a combined record of 1-and-3.

Two teams who have dreams of playing deep in January have gotten an early taste of humble pie through the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season.

While it’s early in the season, and there’s no need for alarm, at least not yet, the Dallas Cowboys’ first two weeks have revealed challenges in both their rushing offense and run defense.

The offense has struggled to establish a ground game early on, while the defense overall had a standout performance in week one, yet after the game against the Saints are still showing a huge weakness against the run and top-tier backs.

GAME INFO:

Date: Sunday, September 22nd | Time: 3:25 CT

Location: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas

TV: FOX | Stream: NFL+ & FuboTV

Radio: 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM), 107.5 La Grande in Spanish (KMVK-FM)

ODDS:

Moneyline (ML): Cowboys -102 (bet $100 to win $98) | Saints -118 (bet $100 to win $84)

Against the spread (ATS): Cowboys +1 (-108) | Browns -1 (-118)

Over/Under (O/U): 49 (O: -108 | U: -112)

Fun Betting Stats

Dallas has covered the spread one time in two games with a set spread. The over has hit in both of the Cowboys games this season.

The Cowboys are once again underdogs by a point, like they were in the first game of the season against the Cleveland Browns, a game in which they looked like a completely different team than Sunday.

As for the Ravens and the two-time MVP, they are 0-2 in both games this season being favorites.

The over has also hit both times this year, so a trend you should probably stick to in this game if you are a person who likes to bet on the NFL.

The average total in Baltimore’s games this season (postseason included) is 43.3, 5.7 points fewer than Sunday’s over/under of 49.

Struggles Continue Against The Run

Every single time the Dallas Cowboys face a team that uses a lot of motion, they can’t figure out how to stop the run.

The game against the Saints looked exactly like the playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. Rinse and repeat it seems like.

Alvin Kamara had his way against the Cowboys’ run defense, rushing for 115 yards and scoring three touchdowns on 20 carries.

Dallas gave up a total of 190 rushing yards on Sunday. In the first two weeks, the Cowboys have allowed 283 rushing yards, ranking 11th in the league.

Although the Ravens don’t have the same type of running scheme as the Saints or Packers, that is all they do is run the football.

I am holding out hope that Mike Zimmer can get it fixed, but we said the same things about Dan Quinn time and time again.

Need To Score Touchdowns

Yes, Sunday was more about the Cowboys defense than it was about the offense. They did score on 4 of their first 5 times they touched the ball.

Only one touchdown was not going to keep up with the Saints, who got seven the first six times they had the ball on offense.

Still, the fact that the defense could not get one stop and gave up 35 first half points put everyone in a bad way.

The Dallas Cowboys are 1-1, while the Ravens are 0-2. You would think week three would be a bit early for a must win, but, man, both these teams need this win.

I am not sure how this game is going to go because, honestly, the Ravens are the more desperate team, and have the better coach.

I do think it will be closer this week than it was last week for Dallas. If this team can get Jake Furegson back, Dallas probably wins. If not, I think the Ravens will get their first win.

Shane Taylor

Staff Writer

Shane Taylor is a Dallas Cowboys fan from the Midwest. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and works at a Junior College in the Institutional Effectiveness department. Taylor has written for two publications in his lifetime. The first was as a Sports Reporter for Journal Star while in college. He also spent a year as a Regional News Reporter for Shaw Media. When he is not working or writing for Inside The Star, he enjoys bowling competitively. Feel free to connect with him on his social media outlets listed below!

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