This one's still months away and it's already a measuring-stick game — Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry rolling into Arlington against a Cowboys team that spent its whole offseason trying to fix a defense that couldn't get anyone off the field.
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SUN SEP 27 · 3:25 PM CT
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Baltimore's whole operation looks different heading into 2026. Jesse Minter takes over as head coach after John Harbaugh's long run, and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is tasked with rebooting a unit that fell to 16th in total offense a year ago. Jackson was noncommittal this offseason about whether he'll run more after a career-low 67 carries in 2025, and Henry is coming off a 1,595-yard, 5.2-yards-per-carry season that still makes him the engine of this offense no matter what Doyle draws up. Dallas, meanwhile, spent minicamp managing Dak Prescott's knee soreness — called precautionary by Brian Schottenheimer — and easing George Pickens through drills as he plays out his franchise tag.
The injury picture actually trends up for Baltimore. Nnamdi Madubuike is working back from neck surgery with doctors optimistic he plays in 2026, Teddye Buchanan is reportedly ahead of schedule on his ACL, and Nate Wiggins says he's finally 100 percent after playing his first two seasons compromised. Dallas has been doing its own defensive overhaul under new coordinator Christian Parker, who's installing a multiple front after the Cowboys used draft capital and free-agent additions to rebuild post-Micah Parsons. DaRon Bland is coming off a second straight foot surgery on the same foot, which is worth watching as camp opens.
History leans hard toward the Ravens here — Baltimore's won 6 of the 7 all-time meetings, including a 28-25 win the last time these teams played in 2024. That gap is part of why this Week 4 spot matters so much for Schottenheimer's group: after finishing 7-9-1 in year one, Dallas needs signature wins against playoff-caliber opponents to prove last season's late collapse is behind them.
Baltimore Ravens
Dallas Cowboys
Both teams limped into the offseason. The Ravens split their final 5 games of last season 2-3, including a 41-24 blowout of the Packers sandwiched between three losses, while the Cowboys dropped 4 of their last 5, getting outscored badly in three of those defeats. That volatility is exactly what both coaching staffs are trying to coach out — Minter with a defense that needs to be more consistent possession to possession, and Parker with a unit that has to stop bleeding big plays.
Baltimore Ravens
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Fully healthy — no injuries to report
Dallas Cowboys
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Fully healthy — no injuries to report
None of this settles anything in July. Camp battles like the Cowboys' Tyler Guyton-versus-Nate Thomas left tackle competition and how quickly Doyle's offense clicks for Jackson will shape whether this early-season trip to Dallas turns into the Ravens flexing a rebuilt roster or the Cowboys finally beating the team that's owned this series.
