The NFL’s first-ever game held in Rio de Janeiro was nothing short of exhilarating for fans, as a 31-31 tie that seemed to surely spell overtime was cut short by Baltimore in the quickest game-winning drive in NFL history, leaving the score 34-31.
The game was a back-and-forth battle in a packed Maracanã Stadium where both teams held multiple leads, combined for 65 points and totaled almost 800 yards on offense.
Dallas opened the game with a 10-0 lead, before Baltimore responded with 17 unanswered points. Running back Derrick Henry played a major role in the turnaround, scoring twice in the first half as the Ravens entered halftime leading 17-13. Baltimore extended its lead to 24-13 in the third quarter when quarterback Lamar Jackson connected with Chris Moore for a four-yard touchdown.
The Cowboys responded with 15 points of their own. Quarterback Dak Prescott connected with tight end Jake Ferguson for a 19-yard touchdown and CeeDee Lamb for the following two-point conversion. KaVontae Turpin later scored on a nine-yard run, giving Dallas a 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter.
Jackson answered by leading Baltimore on a 64-yard drive and finding rookie tight end Matt Hibner for a two-yard touchdown with 1:30 remaining.
Prescott then moved Dallas back into scoring position. A pass interference call against Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins gave the Cowboys first-and-goal from the 2-yard line with 28 seconds remaining; but Dallas failed to finish the job.
“Still think we were going to score, we just got in our own way. That’s the only thing that stopped us tonight. First drive, third and the fourth drive, not getting it on fourth down, not scoring a touchdown on the last drive, I could go back pretty much to every drive. And that’s a hell of a team, it’s a good team and they did a great job,” said Prescott when discussing Dallas’ inability to finish its drives.
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey then made a 23-yard field goal to tie the game 31-31 with only seven seconds remaining.
After a touchback, Baltimore took possession with seven seconds remaining.
Jackson completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers, who immediately went down before the Ravens used their final timeout with one second left.
“Everyone was on the same timing,” Jackson said. “Zay did a great job.”
With only a second remaining, Ravens kicker Tyler Loop sent the 56-yard attempt through the uprights, giving Baltimore the 34-31 win. The kick also served as redemption for Loop, who missed a 44-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers at the end of his rookie season that would have sent Baltimore to the playoffs.
Despite the win, Baltimore’s defense struggled throughout the second half. The Ravens allowed 415 total yards and 18 fourth-quarter points, nearly losing an 11-point second-half lead.
“It’s frustrating,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said after the game. “Happy we got the win, but it’s unacceptable.”
Jackson finished 15 of 20 for 186 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 50 rushing yards. Henry led Baltimore’s 192-yard rushing attack with 89 yards and two touchdowns.
The victory moved Baltimore to 2-1, while Dallas fell to 1-2. Although Baltimore left Rio with the win, its inability to protect an 11-point lead proved there are still issues to address defensively, while Dallas was left to look back on a crucial missed opportunity from Baltimore’s 2-yard line.
