Cowboys defense seeks discipline to stop Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry

The Dallas Cowboys travel to Rio de Janeiro to face Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL’s first game in Brazil. The redesigned Dallas defense admits it has a tough task in trying to slow the Ravens’ key players; according to the players, the key will be executing individual and collective assignments on the field.

According to the NFL, Jackson leads the league with 10.0 passing yards per attempt after two weeks. He has not run much — 11 attempts for 74 yards and a touchdown — but appears more mobile than a year ago. Dallas must stay focused on his ability to break free on scrambles, especially since it has struggled similarly against running quarterbacks: Jaxson Dart managed 11 for 54 yards and Jayden Daniels 7 for 69 yards. Moreover, the Cowboys have allowed the most quarterback rushing yards in the league — 126 yards on 19 attempts (an average of 6.6 yards per attempt) — a figure that would have been even higher had Daniels not been exhausted by an elbow injury.

Dallas coaches and players emphasize that the answer must be discipline and constant communication: holding rush lanes, playing with extended hands, and applying structured pressure on the opposing offense. The Ravens will be without Zay Flowers due to a hamstring injury, but the combination of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry remains threatening. Henry, despite only five attempts in the second half of a game, has accumulated 212 yards and four touchdowns in two games and is tied for the league lead in TDs, while only Kenneth Walker III (290) has more rushing yards. Disrupting the rhythm of the game and neutralizing Henry’s physical power will require precise cooperation from the lines and the secondary.

On paper, the matchup looks difficult for the Dallas defense: after two weeks they rank 32nd in third-down percentage allowed (68%), 30th in rushing yards allowed per game (173.5), 29th in total yards allowed per game (391.5), 29th in sacks, 24th in yards per play allowed (5.8), 18th in points per game (24.0) and 17th in passing yards per game (218). These figures underscore the need for immediate improvement in the mental and physical aspects of the defense; the source of these statistics is the NFL.

Source: NFL