ARLINGTON, Texas — Running back Derrick Henry rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns Sunday as the Ravens held off a furious comeback by the Dallas Cowboys, winning 28-25 for their first win of the season.

The Ravens (1-2) led 28-6 entering the fourth quarter, but another late turnover gave the Cowboys (1-2) hope at AT&T Stadium. Dallas scored three straight touchdowns in a span of six minutes to cut the Ravens’ lead to 28-25 with under three minutes left.

But the Ravens decided the game with two first downs on the ground, including a 10-yard run by quarterback Lamar Jackson on a read-option keeper to secure the victory.

Henry, who was hampered by poor run blocking and limited usage in close losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, needed time to get going at AT&T Stadium. But his breakouts in the second and third quarters ended the Cowboys’ comeback hopes.

Henry, who is living in Dallas during the offseason but wasn’t being hounded by the cash-strapped (and salary-cap-strapped) Cowboys, accounted for 51 total yards on the Ravens’ touchdown drive just before halftime that extended their lead to 21-6. He rushed for another 58 yards, including a 26-yard score as the Ravens took a 22-yard lead to open the third quarter, dishing out a handful of his trademark stiff-arm moves.

With the Ravens’ ground game rolling (274 yards, 6.1 per carry) and their defense harassing quarterback Dak Prescott (three sacks), Jackson should be able to pick his passing spots early. He went 12-for-15 for 182 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown to wide receiver Rashod Bateman, and completed passes to seven receivers.

The Ravens took control early. Jackson opened the scoring with a 9-yard run at the end of a five-play, 71-yard drive. Henry’s 1-yard score extended the Ravens’ lead to 14-3 at the end of a seven-play, 70-yard march. And Jackson capped an eight-play, 88-yard drive late in the second quarter with his throw to Bateman.

The Ravens were well on their way to an assured victory until the fourth quarter, when Prescott took over. He scored on a 1-yard keeper and found wide receivers Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin for 15- and 16-yard touchdowns, respectively, to fuel the late drama. Prescott finished 28-for-51 for 379 yards and two touchdowns, compounding the Ravens’ pass defense woes.

Next week is the barometer

Are the Ravens a good team? The answer I would have given you midway through the third quarter — “I think so!” — is a lot different than the answer I’m giving you now: “Um… maybe?” They held their own against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, and we’re all pretty sure the reigning Super Bowl champions are good. Then the Ravens lost at home to the Las Vegas Raiders, who just about finished off the Carolina Panthers. On Sunday, the Ravens looked dominant until they had chance after chance to decide the game. Then they looked terrible. Again.

If the Ravens are good, I think we’ll know how good by the end of next Sunday night. The Buffalo Bills should enter M&T Bank Stadium with a 3-0 record, a Most Valuable Player-level quarterback in Josh Allen, and a defensive line good enough to stymie the Ravens’ ground game. A win is more important than style points at this point, but the Ravens should at least know where they stand.

— Jonas Shaffer

Situational football is the downfall of this team

There are so many aspects of the game that let this team down as the Cowboys crept back, it’s hard to know where to begin. But the biggest problem overall is that the Ravens can’t seem to deliver in the situations that call for them to perform.

As dominant as the team was early in the run game, the ground attack inexplicably stalled in the fourth quarter as milking the clock became more important. Secondary problems persisted, even as the Ravens knew Dak Prescott would step back to throw. So many penalties in three straight weeks is a sign of poor discipline and coaching. The hands team blew the first onside kick opportunity, and Justin Tucker missed by 50 yards.

On one hand, the Ravens started out much closer to the team we expected. On the other hand, you can’t trust them, even when they’re playing with a big lead. There’s a reason everyone in Baltimore sees this team waiting to be abandoned in the fourth quarter: inevitably, these guys take their foot off the gas.

—Kyle Goon

Not so special special teams

I’m pretty sure I’ve written this exact header before. Last season, the Ravens’ special teams had a rough start before finding their momentum. And those issues are back. They were evident in the first two games, but they’re reaching a crisis point.

Sure, punter Jordan Stout bounced back with a strong game after being whistled for his 24-yard punt that helped the Raiders rebound. But Justin Tucker missed another field goal — this time from inside 50 yards. Things got worse when he was sidelined by Brandon Aubrey’s 65- and 51-yard field goals for the Cowboys.

And the biggest problem came when the Cowboys decided to kick onside. With the new kickoff rules, they have to announce it, so the element of surprise was lost. Still, Zay Flowers dropped the ball. The Cowboys’ ensuing drive helped change the momentum and spark a comeback. The Ravens finished it off by negating a good return by Deonte Harty in the final minutes with a holding penalty.

—Giana Han

It’s a start (for a team that can’t finish it)

Well, it took a while, but the Ravens have started the 2024 season.

Okay, that’s light. They were good against the Chiefs, and a few more bounces would have turned the game around for the Raiders. They haven’t been terrible, they just haven’t been very… lively. They started to fix some of their own problems on Sunday (though a Cowboys team with extremely soft offensive AND defensive lines helped) and got Derrick Henry going. Todd Monken’s play calling found a rhythm and relied on the diversity of the offense to make it work. The maligned right side of the offensive line held up, and the pass rush was relentless.

There’s plenty to continue to worry about, of course. The late-game struggles are A Problem. And — am I really typing this? — Justin Tucker. The secondary can’t seem to defend the middle, dropping assignments too often and being forced to rely on Nate Wiggins for big stops when he clearly wasn’t ready.

But 0-3 would have sent this team into a tailspin. There is now a foundation to build on. I’m still not convinced it will be the type of season a team with this level of talent should have, but it’s a place to start.

– Chris Korman