The Cowboys are trying to end one of the most well-known droughts in American sports.
Over the past 30 seasons, only four NFL teams have failed to make their conference's championship game: the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys.
One of those teams isn't like the other. The Texans have only existed since 2002, while the Browns and Dolphins have combined for just eight playoff appearances in the 21st century.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, have had championship-caliber teams since then, but they haven't been able to get over the hump. Once again, they're hoping that this year is different, and per usual, their success starts with their four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Dak Prescott.
Prescott is one of the NFL's best and most consistent quarterbacks.
Before the regular season began, Prescott wanted the Cowboys to have the NFL's "G.O.T.I" – the Greatest Offense There Is. So far, their offense has been potent, ranking first in points per drive and third-down percentage.
A lot of their success has to do with Prescott, who has been one of the NFL's sharpest quarterbacks since becoming the Cowboys' starter as a rookie in 2016. He has four seasons with at least 4,400 passing yards. Last week, he broke Tony Romo's franchise record for passing touchdowns.
Speaking of last week, it was a good example of how lethal Prescott can be. In a 37-20 win over the Commanders, Prescott had 279 passing yards, four touchdowns, five incompletions and zero turnovers. He gashed Washington's defense at all three levels of the field, throwing with poise and accuracy all afternoon.
"Dak is a great quarterback," Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter said this week. "He has a really good field-general sense of how they operate."
Along with an elite quarterback, the Cowboys also have one of the NFL's best wide receiver duos in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
Lamb and Pickens alone make Prescott's supporting cast elite, but Dallas' rushing attack isn't as potent.
A 2020 first-round pick, Lamb has crossed 1,000 receiving yards in every season except his rookie campaign, when he came up just 65 yards short. The three-time All-Pro has more games with at least 100 receiving yards (28) than he does with under 50 (24).
On the other side is Pickens, a 2022 second-round pick who the Cowboys acquired in a trade with the Steelers in May 2025. After averaging just under 1,000 receiving yards in three seasons with Pittsburgh, he exploded for 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns last season, both of which were career-highs.
While the Cowboys have two big receivers outside, tight end Jake Ferguson is the threat over the middle. He caught two touchdowns against the Commanders, and last season, he set career highs in receptions (62), receiving yards (800), and touchdowns (8).
The Cowboys' run game hasn't popped, though. Dallas gained just 69 rushing yards on 18 carries against the Giants and just 66 rushing yards on 21 carries against the Commanders. Led by Javonte Williams, no Cowboys running back has a rush of more than nine yards.
The Cowboys' defense is hoping to reverse course from last season, and early returns have been mixed.
In 2025, the Cowboys ranked last in points per game allowed, expected points added (EPA) per play, third-down percentage, and passing yards allowed. Dallas hired Christian Parker, who'd been a defensive assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles since 2024, to be their defensive coordinator and help right the ship.
Through two weeks, the unit hasn't played well. They're 29th in total yards allowed, 30th in rushing yards allowed, and last in third-down percentage.
In Week 1, the Giants wore down the Cowboys in the trenches. They ran for 165 yards, converted 9 of 11 third downs, and held possession for over 60% of the game. Derrick Henry is off to a strong start this season and could give Dallas trouble on the ground like he did in 2024 (151 yards and two touchdowns).
Dallas also struggled to defend the pass on occasion: former Raven Isaiah Likely took advantage of busted coverage and caught a wide-open touchdown pass late in the second quarter, and Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart completed three straight passes to Giants running back Devin Singletary in the flat on the same drive, including a 9-yard touchdown.
Dallas' defense had a better performance in Week 2, holding the Commanders to 20 points. But the Cowboys also caught a few big breaks when the Commanders looked poised to score more. Plus, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow on a fluky goal-line play at the end of the first half.
Before his injury, Daniels dominated Dallas with his legs, picking up 69 rushing yards on just seven carries. Dart (54 yards on 11 carries) also hurt the Cowboys on the ground. That could be something the Ravens exploit with the best running quarterbacks of all time in Lamar Jackson.
The Cowboys have one of the NFL's best interior defensive linemen in Quinnen Williams. Rookie safety Caleb Downs, the No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft, offers promise for the future. But in the present, the Cowboys are still a work in progress on defense, and they'll have a tough matchup with Jackson & Co. on Sunday.
The Cowboys have a couple weapons on special teams.
Since entering the NFL in 2023, Cowboys kicker Aubrey has been one of the NFL's most tantalizing forces. Saying that about a kicker is uncommon, but so is Aubrey's impact.
He's made six field goals from at least 60 yards away, which is the most in NFL history (that includes a 65-yarder against the Ravens in 2024). Aubrey has also made a remarkable 80% of field-goal attempts from at least 50 yards away. And it's not like he struggles from short or intermediate range, either: he's 79-of-85 (92.9%) from inside 50 yards.
Elsewhere, wide receiver KaVontae Turpin has been one of the league's most electric returners since his rookie season in 2022. He's led the NFL in kick return yards in each of the past two seasons, and he's had a return of at least 60 yards in each of his four full NFL seasons.
The Ravens have allowed two long kick returns in the first two weeks of this season: a 66-yarder against the Colts and a 53-yarder against the Saints. If the Ravens can't clean it up against the Cowboys, Turpin might break another long return.
