Dallas neutralized Baltimore’s powerhouse back with three monumental goal-line stands, yet late offensive stalls and costly penalties handed the Ravens a narrow, maddening comeback victory in Rio.
I was convinced Derrick Henry was going to destroy the Dallas Cowboys.
Not concerned ... not wondering ... convinced.
After watching what Dallas had put on tape through two weeks (and two years, quite honestly), I expected Henry to walk into Maracanã Stadium, flirt with 150 yards, score twice and let Baltimore control Sunday's game from beginning to end.
Well ... I got part of it right.
Henry scored twice.
Almost everything else went completely backward.
Dallas held him to 89 yards on 26 carries. Caleb Downs helped stop him on fourth-and-one in the first quarter. Then Jaishawn Barham and the Cowboys' front did it twice more in the fourth, including once at the goal line and again with Dallas protecting a four-point lead.
Three fourth-down carries for Derrick Henry.
Three stops.
That should be the story of a Cowboys win.
Yet somehow, it isn't, and that's part of what makes Sunday's 34-31 loss so maddening.
Dallas spent the afternoon answering nearly every question I had about its ability to survive Baltimore physically.
Henry averaged just 3.4 yards per carry. The Cowboys repeatedly met him at or behind the line of scrimmage, and Javonte Williams nearly outrushed him on the other side with 98 yards on 19 carries.
This wasn't Baltimore walking into Rio, leaning on Henry and slowly squeezing the life out of Dallas.
For stretches, it was the opposite.
The first fourth-down stop should've been the warning. Baltimore gave Henry the ball needing one yard in the first quarter, and Downs was there waiting.
Then came the fourth quarter.
Baltimore reached the goal line with a chance to stretch a three-point lead. Henry got the football on fourth down.
Nope.
Dallas responded by going 96 yards, with Dak Prescott dropping a gorgeous 49-yard ball to CeeDee Lamb before KaVontae Turpin finished the drive and gave the Cowboys a 28-24 lead.
There it was.
Dallas had survived Henry. It had survived an 11-point deficit. It had taken the lead.
Then Baltimore went back to its hammer one more time.
Fourth down.
Barham met Henry for a four-yard loss.
That was supposed to be it.
Seriously, how many times does a defense get asked to stop Derrick Henry with the game sitting in short yardage?
Dallas did it three times.
The third should've sent everyone home.
Instead, the offense went three-and-out.
Lamar Jackson got another chance. Markquese Bell committed pass interference near the goal line. Rookie tight end Matt Hibner eventually slipped open for the go-ahead touchdown.
Even then, Prescott dragged Dallas back.
He helped move the Cowboys inside the Baltimore 10, Brandon Aubrey tied the game with 10 seconds remaining and overtime seemed inevitable.
Seven seconds later, Jackson hit Zay Flowers for 26 yards.
Tyler Loop walked out for the game-winner.
Good.
So now Dallas heads home 1-2 after producing the exact defensive performance I thought it couldn't.
That's the frustrating part.
This wasn't Henry trampling the Cowboys for 150 while Baltimore controlled possession and made Dallas look small. This wasn't the same old run-defense disaster everyone could see coming.
Dallas found an answer.
Then another.
Then another.
And somehow, the Cowboys still needed one more.
I went into Sunday thinking Dallas would need a miracle to stop Derrick Henry.
It stopped him three times when Baltimore needed one yard.
Turns out that wasn't the miracle the Cowboys needed.
They needed to stop themselves.
