Loop's 56-yard field goal as time expires lifts Ravens past Cowboys 34-31

Tyler Loop's 56-yard field goal on the final play in Brazil gave Baltimore a 34-31 win over Dallas, though the Ravens lost two more centers to potentially long-term injuries.

Tyler Loop made a 56-yard field goal as time expired Sunday, giving the Baltimore Ravens a 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil. Teammates charged after the kicker toward a corner of the field, where he celebrated in the style of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

The kick carried heavy personal significance. As a rookie last season, Loop pushed a 44-yard attempt wide right on the final play of the regular season — a make would have secured the division, and the miss left Baltimore out of the playoffs. His hold on the job looked tenuous after a rough preseason, and the Ravens responded by adding Jake Moody to the practice squad, but Loop was solid in the opener and Moody was released.

"We have talked a lot this season about being the best when your best is needed. There has been a lot of adversity," Loop said, adding: "It has been a pleasure to have teammates like these guys and the rest of the locker room stand behind me and support me." Safety Kyle Hamilton saw the ending as fate. "NFL football in general reflects life very eerily similar. Everything is cyclical," Hamilton said. "What goes around comes around."

Baltimore led 24-13 before Dallas scored two touchdowns in quick succession, and Lamar Jackson put the Ravens back in front with a touchdown pass to make it 31-28. The Cowboys reached first-and-goal at the 2 but settled for a tying field goal with seven seconds remaining. Jackson then hit Zay Flowers for 27 yards, moving Loop into position for the winner.

The result eased concerns for a Baltimore team that had just lost at home to New Orleans in Week 2 while being overwhelmed in the fourth quarter. That defeat echoed the late leads the Ravens gave away in the final stretch of John Harbaugh's coaching tenure. This time the late collapse belonged to Dallas, and Baltimore improved to 2-1.

Jackson's connection with Flowers remains the engine of the offense. Back from a hamstring injury, Flowers caught five passes for 84 yards and added a 20-yard run against the Cowboys. He has five plays of 20 or more yards in six quarters of action this season.

The offensive line is now a major worry. Center Danny Pinter went down before the season began, and coach Jesse Minter said Monday that the injuries to centers Jovaughn Gwyn (ankle) and Ethan Pocic (knee) could be long term. Tackle Ronnie Stanley missed the Dallas game with a toe injury, and rookie guard Vega Ioane may have to fill in at center. "He'll prepare to potentially play that position," Minter said. "We'll figure out the best five guys to put out there for this particular week, as we may add a piece or two obviously."

The shortage up front showed in the running game, where Baltimore repeatedly failed to convert short-yardage situations even with Derrick Henry carrying the ball. Defense was another concern: after Dallas fell behind by 11, the Cowboys answered with touchdown drives of 67 and 96 yards, and after one Baltimore stop they marched 60 yards to the tying field goal. The struggles came despite the offseason addition of Trey Hendrickson and the return of Nnamdi Madubuike from a neck injury, leaving Minter, whose background is on defense, with plenty to fix. Special teams were a bright spot, as Keondre Jackson blocked a Dallas field goal to go with Loop's winner.

Tight end Mark Andrews (hand) and Hamilton, who was evaluated for a concussion, were both able to return to the game. Baltimore ran its all-time record against Dallas to 7-1, the best mark by any franchise against the Cowboys. The Ravens head home this weekend to face Derrick Henry's former team, the winless Tennessee Titans.