Dallas Cowboys offensive line matchup vs. Baltimore Ravens
Every week, we’re digging into the trenches, because that’s where the real action happens. We shine the spotlight on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line, who’s holding it down, who’s opening holes for the running backs, and who’s keeping Dak Prescott clean. Let’s get to it.
Trench Dashboard
Here are the Cowboys offensive line metrics for the 2026 season so far.
Pass Block Win Rate – 54% 10th
Run Block Win Rate – 66% 32nd
Pressure rate allowed – 25% 7th
Sacks allowed – 2 (3rd)
Last three-week trend: N/A
The Pressure Point
Every opponent will look at the Cowboys offensive line and ask, where can we break it? Here’s what to watch for.
PRESSURE POINT: Baltimore can create pressure without dominating every individual matchup
This is the biggest problem Dallas has to solve in Brazil.
The Ravens have generated pressure on 43.8% of opposing quarterback dropbacks, fifth-highest in the NFL. They have five sacks through two games, tied for 11th in the league. Baltimore has players capable of beating blocks and Trey Hendrickson is the obvious name to watch.
His 26% Pass Rush Win Rate ranks 12th among qualifying edge defenders, and PFF has already credited him with 10 pressures, sixth-most among edge defenders, despite playing only two games. He added his first sack as a Raven against New Orleans.
But Hendrickson is not alone. Tavius Robinson already has seven pressures and two sacks, while Mike Green also registered a sack against New Orleans. That means Dallas cannot simply double-team Hendrickson on every passing play and assume the problem is solved.
PRESSURE POINT: Terence Steele remains the obvious place to test
Tyler Guyton’s start to the year has been extremely encouraging and the left tackle question looks close the being answered. The same cannot yet be said about the other tackle spot.
Through two games, PFF has given Terence Steele a 54.2 pass-blocking grade and 46.6 run-blocking grade, ranking him 56th and 62nd respectively among 66 qualifying tackles. He has surrendered three pressures and Dallas’ only sack charged to an offensive tackle. Baltimore will see that on film.
Whether it is Hendrickson moving across the formation or another Ravens edge defender attacking that side, Steele should expect attention.
The danger does not always show up as a sack. If Steele loses quickly, Prescott may have to move before a route has developed and throw the ball away or check it down. A pass rusher can ruin a play without ever touching the quarterback.
Where to Attack
Every defensive line has a weakness, here are the Ravens’ soft spots and where the Cowboys offensive line should attack.
GREEN LIGHT: Make Baltimore defend the run
This might be the most important statistic in the entire matchup. Baltimore ranks 27th in Run Stop Win Rate at only 26%. Dallas ranks 32nd in Run Block Win Rate at 66%. So this is weakness against weakness.
Baltimore’s traditional rushing numbers actually look much better. Opponents have rushed for only 167 yards at 3.6 yards per carry through two games. That is why the ESPN number is interesting. Baltimore has prevented huge rushing totals, but its defensive front is not consistently defeating its blocks according to the tracking data.
Dallas has to test whether that weakness is real. Tyler Booker gives them a good place to start. PFF currently grades Booker at 81.7 as a run blocker, seventh among guards. T.J. Bass has also settled into Tyler Smith’s position much better than expected, earning a place on PFF’s Week 2 Team of the Week. Rather than putting everything on Prescott again, Dallas should make Booker, Bass and Cooper Beebe move Baltimore’s defensive front.
GREEN LIGHT: Use quick passes to take the teeth out of the rush
New Orleans provided Dallas with another blueprint. Baltimore sacked Tyler Shough three times against the Saints, but the pressure largely disappeared during New Orleans’ fourth-quarter comeback when Shough began getting the football out quickly. The Saints scored 15 unanswered fourth-quarter points, and Baltimore did not record a sack in the final period.
Dallas has the personnel to copy that idea. CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Jake Ferguson can all give Prescott quick answers. Screens can also punish defenders who are racing toward the quarterback.
The idea is simple. If Hendrickson is expecting three to four seconds to eventually reach Prescott, make sure the football is already gone after two. That can also help Steele. Dallas does not have to leave its right tackle in difficult pass sets repeatedly if the offense forces Baltimore to worry about quick throws, screens and the running game.
The Chaos Report
Here are the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive trends for this season at the defensive line.
Sack Total – 5 (11th)
Pass Rush Win Rate – 55% 10th
Run Stop Win Rate – 26th% 27th
QB Pressure Rate – 43% (5th)
Last three week trend: N/A
Matchup of the week
Tyler Guyton vs. Trey Hendrickson
This is Guyton’s biggest examination of the young season. The Cowboys left tackle has allowed four pressures and no sacks through 78 pass-blocking snaps, while his 81.8 PFF run-blocking grade ranks fourth among qualifying tackles. He has taken a significant step forward after all the questions surrounding him during the offseason.
Now comes Hendrickson. The Ravens’ new edge rusher has already produced 10 pressures. His current 26% Pass Rush Win Rate means he is defeating roughly one out of every four qualifying pass-rush blocks within 2.5 seconds.
Hendrickson is dangerous because he does not give an offensive tackle only one problem to solve. If Guyton worries too much about Hendrickson racing around the outside, he can leave space inside. If he sits too heavily inside, Hendrickson has enough speed to attack the edge.
That is what makes this individual battle bigger than two players. Guyton winning by himself allows the entire Dallas offense to remain open.
Best route to success:
Run the football before Baltimore’s pass rush gets the chance to take over.
Dallas cannot enter this game with the league’s worst Run Block Win Rate and simply expect Prescott to throw it 40 times against a defense producing pressure at a good rate.
Test Baltimore’s 27th-ranked Run Stop Win Rate. Run behind Booker and the interior line. Use quick passes and screens. Stay ahead of the chains. Then, when Dallas does want to attack deeper, give Prescott situations where Baltimore still has to respect the run.
Injury Updates:
The coast is clear this week in terms of the Dallas offensive line, with nothing major report other than Tyler Smith still recovering.
For Baltimore, Nnamdi Madubuike is the major name to monitor. The Pro Bowl defensive tackle missed the first two games with a neck injury. Baltimore deliberately kept him off injured reserve because it believed a return against Dallas in Rio or Tennessee in Week 4 was possible. Linebacker Teddye Buchanan is on a similar timetable. Both were able to practice on Wednesday.
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