ARLINGTON, TX (Aug. 16, 2025) – The Dallas Cowboys learned a hard lesson in physicality Saturday night, as the Baltimore Ravens flexed their muscle on both sides of the ball to hand Dallas a 31-13 defeat at AT&T Stadium. The loss underscored the growing pains of new head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s push to instill toughness into his squad, while also highlighting how far the Cowboys must go to reach that standard.
Baltimore outgained Dallas 399 yards to 176, ran 79 plays to just 47, and dominated time of possession by more than 20 minutes (40:11 to 19:49). From the trenches to third-down execution, the Ravens’ trademark physical brand of football dictated the flow of the game.
First Quarter: A Rocky Start
The opening period set the tone for a difficult night. Dallas’ first offensive series began deep in its own territory and quickly turned disastrous. After a pair of unproductive runs by Miles Sanders, quarterback Joe Milton was sacked on a safety blitz, giving Baltimore an early 2-0 lead.
The Ravens built on that momentum, driving 62 yards on the ensuing possession before settling for a 29-yard field goal. Dallas finally found a spark on defense when cornerback Andrew Booth jumped a route, intercepted Cooper Rush, and returned it for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a brief 7-5 lead.
Second Quarter: Baltimore Answers Back
That advantage was short-lived. Rush led Baltimore on a 76-yard march, capping the drive with a touchdown strike to Keith Kirkwood in the back of the end zone. Though Dallas mounted a promising drive behind Sanders’ hard running, a failed fourth-and-1 attempt at midfield gave the ball back to Baltimore.
The Ravens capitalized with a 51-yard field goal by Tyler Loop, and after trading interceptions late in the half, Loop tacked on another 47-yarder. The visitors entered halftime with an 18-7 cushion, having controlled the ball for more than 21 minutes in the opening two quarters.
Third Quarter: Fleeting Momentum
Dallas briefly showed life in the second half. Milton connected with rookie wideout Jonathan Mingo for a 49-yard gain, his longest play of the preseason. The drive stalled due to penalties, but Brandon Aubrey converted a 36-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 18-10.
Baltimore quickly responded with another Loop field goal, this one from 36 yards, stretching the lead to 21-10 by the end of the quarter.
Fourth Quarter: Ravens Close the Door
Early in the fourth, Dallas again moved into scoring range but was forced to settle for a 47-yard Aubrey field goal after Milton was sacked deep in the red zone. Baltimore then delivered the decisive blow, stringing together a 52-yard touchdown drive capped by a D’Ernest Johnson 2-yard plunge.
Backup quarterback Will Grier provided a late highlight with a 33-yard completion to tight end Princeton Fant, but a strip-sack ended any hopes of a rally. Loop closed the scoring with his fourth field goal of the night, this time from 53 yards, putting a punctuation mark on Baltimore’s dominant performance.
Final Numbers and Takeaways
Milton finished 9-of-18 for 122 yards and one interception, with nearly half of his production coming on the lone deep ball to Mingo. Sanders managed just 19 yards on eight carries after his early burst, as Dallas’ rushing attack faltered against a stout Ravens front.
Baltimore leaned on its depth, with Rush throwing for 198 yards and a touchdown, while Johnson and the ground game steadily wore down the Cowboys’ defense.
Despite the loss, Dallas’ defense produced two interceptions, a bright spot for Schottenheimer’s group. However, the inability to sustain drives and the lopsided time of possession underscored the work still needed to match the Ravens’ physical standard.
The Cowboys will look to rebound in their third preseason contest as they continue building toward the regular season.
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