In Week 3, the Baltimore Ravens came out on top in their international matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in a thrilling 34-31 victory . They were one of three AFC North teams to grind out a win on Sunday, putting them in a four-way tie atop the division standings after the Cincinnati Bengals suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers .
In a game where they were slightly favored to win, the Ravens overcame adversity in several forms, including digging out of an early 10-0 hole, letting another double-digit lead slip through their fingers and losing both their starting and backup center.
The Ravens were able to secure the victory thanks to some underrated yet impactful performances from a handful of well-known starters and some of their less-heralded players making plays on both sides of the ball.
Even when the ball doesn't finish in the third-year pro's hands, good things and big plays still tend to happen when it comes his way. He was targeted twice on deep shots, where he took the top off the defense with his blazing speed and had two or three steps on the nearest Cowboys defensive back.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson underthrew him both times, forcing Walker to throttle down, and in the first instance, it drew a 49-yard defensive pass interference that put the ball at Dallas' three-yard line. One play later, star running back Derrick Henry plowed his way across the goal line for his second touchdown of the game. Walker also did a good job as a downfield blocker for the future Hall of Famer a few times during this game.
On his second target, a strong argument could've been made that Walker should've been credited with drawing another field-flipping flag for pass interference, but the officials were apparently saving it for Nate Wiggins later in the final couple of minutes of the game on what was a blatant offensive pass interference. All that aside, the Ravens need to get the 2024 fourth-rounder more involved in the offense, especially while standout rookie Ja'Kobi Lane is out , so more of those deep shots can result in completions without Walker having to slow up or break stride.
While the fourth-year pro didn't extend his consecutive games with a sack streak, he still managed to come up with a clutch drive-ending stop for the third week in a row. In the second quarter, he set the edge against the run on the fourth-and-short, where four-time Pro Bowl inside linebacker Roquan Smith stopped the running back in his tracks and even forced a fumble that wasn't recovered but led to a turnover on downs anyway. Robinson finished with two total tackles, including a solo, a quarterback hit and a pass breakup when he dropped into underneath coverage that he had a chance of intercepting but couldn't reel in.
Sep 27, 2026; Rio De Janeiro, BRA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) runs with the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the game at Maracana Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The eighth-year veteran is known more for his prowess as a pass catcher out of the backfield and blocker in pass protection, but it was his rushing ability as a timely change-up to Henry that helped the Ravens the most in this game. Hill carried the ball five times for 33 rushing yards, with an average of 6.6 yards per carry over the course of the game. He picked up a key first down on a third-and-medium on an eventual scoring drive and would've taken his last carry the distance had he been able to tightrope the right sideline a little better, but the Ravens still wound up scoring a touchdown two plays later.
Football - NFL - Baltimore Ravens v Dallas Cowboys - Estadio Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - September 27, 2026 Baltimore Ravens' Carson Vinson celebrates after the match REUTERS/Sergio Moraes | REUTERS
With two-time Pro Bowl veteran left tackle Ronnie Stanley out with a toe injury , the Ravens called upon the second-year pro to step up and be responsible for protecting Jackson's blindside in his first career start. After struggling in pass protection when he came off the bench and finished the game at the same spot against the New Orleans Saints in a loss, Vinson comported himself much better after getting a full week's worth of reps and getting to play 100% of the offensive snaps as opposed to the last handful on short notice. According to Pro Football Focus, he didn't allow a single pressure on 22 true pass-blocking snaps, earning him a respectable overall grade of 63.4, with his only blemish being called for an illegal formation penalty that wiped off a 12-yard run by Jackson.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/ravens/onsi as Unsung Heroes From The Ravens' Week 3 Win Over Cowboys .
