Ravens' Derrick Henry Faces Cowboys' Struggling Run Defense in Week 3

Dallas has given up 173.5 rushing yards per game through two weeks, and Baltimore is positioned to lean heavily on its star running back.

The Dallas Cowboys head into their Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens giving up 173.5 yards on the ground per contest. That figure is the worst kind of welcome mat for a Baltimore offense built around Derrick Henry, who has been among the league's most effective ball carriers so far this season.

Dallas opened the year by surrendering 165 rushing yards in a loss to the New York Giants, then gave up 182 more against the Washington Commanders. Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels accounted for 69 of those yards before leaving with an injury. Missed tackles and shaky linebacker play have been recurring issues, and the Giants also went 9-for-11 on third down while holding the ball for almost 37 minutes.

Henry, meanwhile, has racked up 212 yards and four touchdowns on 40 carries across two games, good for 5.3 yards per rush. He gained 144 yards and scored three times in the opener against Indianapolis, then added 68 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts in a 24-17 loss to New Orleans. Baltimore ran the ball just 22 times as a team in that game, and Henry was on the bench during a key short-yardage moment.

A heavier workload in Week 3, played in Brazil, would do more than exploit a soft statistical spot. Sustained success on the ground would keep the Ravens in manageable down-and-distance situations, open play-action chances for Lamar Jackson, and cut into the possessions available to Dak Prescott and the Dallas passing game.

Patience will matter. Henry's influence tends to build as a defense wears down from repeated contact, so a few quiet early carries should not push Baltimore away from the run. Expecting somewhere north of 20 carries for the 252-pound back is a reasonable baseline for how the Ravens approach this one.