What the film showed
Film revealed a grueling battle at the line of scrimmage where both ground games traded blows on the perimeter. Dallas defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia repeatedly clogged interior gaps early, stopping Derrick Henry at Q1 14:21 and Q1 03:57, while tackle Tyler Guyton sealed second-level blocks for Javonte Williams. However, Roger Rosengarten held firm against Dallas' edge rushers, allowing Lamar Jackson to gash the Cowboys with zone reads and play-action strikes behind Henry's misdirection.
Zay Flowers produced an elite outing, repeatedly uncovering for explosive chunk plays over the middle like his 22-yard grab at Q1 03:12. Henry punched in two direct-snap scores, capping sustained drives at Q1 01:22 and Q2 11:29. For the Cowboys, Dak Prescott operated with poise against pressure despite taking an early third-down sack, and Williams generated explosive runs. Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton countered by controlling the box, highlighted by an athletic pass breakup at Q1 00:04 to derail a Dallas drive.
The game swung on execution in high-leverage red-zone and short-yardage situations. Dallas stalled at Q1 08:53 when Roquan Smith sacked Prescott on 3rd-and-1 at the 1-yard line, forcing a field goal. Early in the second quarter at Q2 14:15, DaRon Bland conceded a 19-yard defensive pass interference penalty to set up Henry's second touchdown. Dallas handed Baltimore short fields again when Williams was stopped on 4th-and-1 at Q2 09:24 and Jake Ferguson fumbled at Q3 10:40.