Pundits Marvel at Resilient Ravens' 'Special Win' in Rio
Just when it appeared the "same old Ravens" narrative would add another agonizing chapter, the Ravens rewrote the ending to make it a happy one.
One week after squandering an 11-point lead in a loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Ravens let an 11-point lead slip away in the second half against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. This time, the Ravens (2-1) came through in the clutch in all three phases of the game to win, 34-31, in a thriller in the first NFL game in Rio de Janeiro.
Embattled kicker Tyler Loop's 56-yard game-winning field goal with one second left was set up by a 27-yard completion from Lamar Jackson to wide receiver Zay Flowers after the Ravens got the ball back with seven seconds remaining at their own 35-yard line. Jackson called timeout as soon as Flowers dropped to the ground.
It was the quickest game-winning drive in NFL history going back to 1978 (including playoffs), according to ESPN Research.
Things had looked bleak when the Cowboys (1-2) had first-and-goal at the 2-yard line with 23 seconds left after a controversial pass interference call against cornerback Nate Wiggins. But the Ravens defense, which had another rough day, stood tall and held the Cowboys to a game-tying field goal.
Here's what pundits had to say about the Ravens' miraculous victory:
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer: "The way the Ravens finished off the Cowboys in Brazil legit gave me goose bumps. Because I'm a believer that NFL games are, more often than not, won on the margins, I'm a sucker for teams that have situational football mastered. And in Jesse Minter's third game as head coach in Baltimore, he gave off pretty strong vibes that his Ravens teams will going forward. Consider this: The Cowboys lined up for first-and-goal on the Baltimore 2-yard line with 23 seconds left, down 31–28, and somehow the Ravens won the game in regulation. That they did was a matter of high-level play and high-level gaming of the situation at hand."
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "The importance of this win can't be overstated. For the Ravens, getting on a 10-hour flight after being battered and bruised must feel a heck of a lot better at 2-1 than at 1-2. Questions about another squandered second-half lead will linger, but it's no longer at the forefront after a walk-off win like that. This team isn't perfect. The defense, particularly the secondary, still looks out of sync. The red zone and short-yardage struggles with Derrick Henry are frustrating. Two potentially serious injuries to centers Jovaughn Gwyn and Ethan Pocic will test new Offensive Line Coach Dwyane Ledford. But it showed the late resolve that was missing in Week 2 against the Saints."
The Baltimore Sun’s Bennett Conlin: "Forget about the blown lead. That's a special win for the Ravens, who have plenty to improve in the coming weeks. But Baltimore delivered what could become a defining win of the Jesse Minter era. It's big for Lamar Jackson. It's big for Tyler Loop. It's big for Minter. This is a massive confidence boost for an organization that needed it after last season's (and last week's) heartbreaks."
The Baltimore Banner’s Chris Korman: "Not sure I've ever seen a more ludicrous end to a football game. It all feels a little fluky, honestly, in the immediate aftermath, but you can't take anything away from the Ravens. They fought through injuries and setbacks (including bizarre penalty calls) to nab this win and prove (mostly to themselves) they can deliver in the fourth quarter. … In the course of an NFL season there's going to be games like this, and finding a way in them can be what knits a team together in belief."
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "The final 28 seconds of the Ravens' 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys was a master class in perseverance and efficiency. The rest of the game? Those 59 minutes and 32 seconds were a much different story — but the end is what counted."
Baltimore Beatdown's John Hughey: "That's the type of finish you want to see during an offensive shootout. The second half had those vibes of another collapse, yet the fight and determination from this Ravens team were too much for the Cowboys."
Loop's Game-Winning Field Goal 'Is the Kick Ravens Fans Will Remember'
Loop only had one opportunity for a game-winning kick during his rookie season – a 44-yard attempt that went wide right in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 that would've won the AFC North title.
The Ravens remained confident in Loop, and he rewarded them on Sunday by nailing his second-ever game-winning field goal try. The kick was one yard shy of his career high, and he's 2-for-2 from 50 yards-plus this season after going 1-for-4 last year.
**T**he Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "The Ravens said their faith in Loop, their young kicker, never wavered. Not when he missed a 44-yard attempt in Week 18 in Pittsburgh last season to keep the Ravens out of the playoffs. Not when he had a shaky preseason. Not when he had a kick blocked in Week 2. Loop delivered on his team's faith Sunday. He'll be the hero of this game and rightly so. "
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "What a swing for the Ravens' most picked-over player. With 30 seconds left, it seemed the Ravens would never get a chance to win this in regulation. But the Ravens' defense held strong, Lamar Jackson found Zay Flowers in the nick of time, and on came Tyler Loop. His game-winning 56-yard field goal as time expired not only ended the game, but it perhaps also closed the chapter on that season-ending kick he missed in Pittsburgh. This is the kick Ravens fans will remember."
The Baltimore Sun’s Josh Tolentino: "Tyler Loop picked one heck of a time to silence the doubts. His 56-yard field goal as time expired gave the Ravens a stunning win over the Cowboys in Rio and a moment Ravens fans, old and new, will remember."
Yet Another Signature Moment for Jackson
The highlight of Loop's young career was made possible by yet another addition to Jackson's Hall of Fame resume.
"All the talk about Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce with 13 seconds left [to set up a game-tying field goal in a 2021 playoff game]," CBS Sports' Damien Harris said, "but we gotta put some respect on Lamar Jackson's name, marching down the field with seven seconds left."
"Lamar Jackson added another signature moment at a major inflection point for the 2026 Ravens," Press Box’s Antonio Barbera wrote. "Jackson got 27 yards with an incredible throw to receiver Zay Flowers over the middle of the field. Getting the timing right, much less the power and accuracy of the throw, was one of Jackson's best plays in an anthology of great ones. He was also given credit for calling the timeout with one second remaining, setting up Loop with a very makeable distance.
"Jackson finished the game 15 for 20 for 186 yards and two touchdowns through the air, while adding 50 yards running. He didn't take a sack and didn't turn the ball over. It's possible that three or four months from now, this win, and Jackson's heroics, will be seen as a pivotal moment for the 2026 Ravens."
The Ringer’s Diante Lee named Jackson one of his winners of Week 3.
"While I can't yet explain why Baltimore's best receiver was open at the end of the game, Jackson somehow managed to get the ball to him with the right balance of velocity and touch to make for an easy completion with one second remaining on the clock," Lee wrote. "Over these first three weeks of the season, Jackson has put to bed any questions about whether he'd bounce back following a disappointing (and injury-filled) 2025 campaign."
Flowers Gives Ravens 'Something No Other Player Does'
It probably goes without saying, but it's clear three weeks into the season that the Ravens offense is significantly more potent with Flowers on the field.
"Zay Flowers was indeed on a pitch count, on the field for roughly one third of the Ravens' offensive snaps, but he was still the Ravens most impactful wide receiver," Ravens in 5’s Gordon McGuinness wrote. "He had five catches for 84 yards, and had a 20 yard carry too. It was him that Lamar Jackson looked to when he needed to find a play downfield in the dying moments of the game and, as he has done so often, Flowers made the play.
"It's so important for the Ravens offense to get him back to full health as he gives the Ravens something that no other player on the roster does.
No Major Issues With Field Conditions
There was a lot of talk during the week about the field conditions at Maracana Stadium, but there didn't appear to be any significant issues.
"There were a handful of instances of players falling down and Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, in particular, seemed to have issues keeping his feet a few times," Zrebiec wrote. "However, the field at Maracana Stadium held up pretty well.
"The NFL listened to gloom-and-doom scenarios all week about the field conditions. NFL Field Director Nick Pappas downplayed them, insisting the field would be ready for its closeup. He was right. He has a thankless job, so kudos to him and his staff that the field was a prevailing storyline leading into the game, not exiting it."
