Ravens rush attack has unforgettable night against miserable Cowboys’ defense

Lamar Jackson and company certainly took care of business on the ground on the way to victory over the Dallas Cowboys. 

For weeks, the NFL wondered, “Where’s Lamar Jackson?”

The third-year quarterback felt lost one season after hoisting the league MVP trophy and helping the Baltimore Ravens finish with the top seed in the AFC.

One play on fourth down brought him back. With the linebackers from the Lone Star State blitzing up the B gap, Jackson chose to hit the A. Several seconds and 37 yards later, the Ravens grabbed a 7-0 lead over the Dallas Cowboys.

If only they knew what was to come in the next 45 minutes of play.

The Ravens ran all over the Cowboys Tuesday night

Jackson and the Ravens’ rushing attack set a season-high on the ground, tallying 294 yards on the way to a 34-17 victory against the Cowboys. Jackson’s passing wasn’t perfect, but then again, it didn’t have to be. Instead, it just needed to get by.

Three Ravens tallied over 70 yards on the evening, with Jackson and Gus Edwards racking up near 100. Edwards led the charge with 101 yards, averaging 14.1 yards per carry. Meanwhile, veteran Mark Ingram made the most of his six carries, averaging 4.1 yards per snap.

The Cowboys entered the night with the league’s worst run defense, allowing an average of 156.4 yards per game. If not for J.K. Dobbins and Ingram hitting the COVID-19/reserve list, perhaps the Ravens would have entered M&T Bank Stadium as the league leaders in rushing.

As the clock struck zero, they left as the new front-runners with 2,028 yards on the year. Meanwhile, Jackson entered the history books as the first player to tally 5,000 pass yards and 2,500 rush yards in his first three seasons.

Not bad for a running back, right?

https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1336508195167035393

The Ravens are hitting their stride at the right time

Anyone could run over Dallas’ down-trodden defense, but situational football is key. Rookie Patrick Queen intercepted Andy Dalton to set up a 38-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Miles Boykin. Three missed field goals from Greg Zuerlein all ended in positive points for the Ravens’ offense on each ensuing drive.

To top it off, Dallas won the time of possession by nearly six minutes. Instead, Baltimore capitalized by trusting bigger plays instead of eating at the clock.

Baltimore’s rushing attack has been vital to its success. How much so, some would ask? Well, the team now has rushed for 100 yards in 35 straight games, making it the third-longest streak in NFL history.

Jackson’s 70.6 completion percentage and two scores through the air were just the icing on the cake.

The Ravens now sit at 7-5 entering the final month of play. Teams have figured out how to contain Jackson’s passing, yet it only takes a handful of throws to set up drives culminating in the end zone.

Can anyone prep for this rushing attack moving forward?

If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. The Ravens rushing attack is far from broken. In fact, it’s kicking into high gear at the right time, soaring them back into the AFC postseason conversation.