Dallas Cowboys 27, Baltimore Ravens 17
Here are the top-graded players and biggest storylines from Dallas’ 27-17 win over Baltimore in Week 11:
Quarterback grade: Dak Prescott, 76.5
Prescott put together another excellent game, as he completed 79.4 percent of his aimed throws and had a QB rating of 127.2 for the game. He did an outstanding job of dissecting Baltimore’s blitz, as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 159 yards, two touchdowns and had a QB rating of 140.4 when the Ravens sent an extra rusher.
Top offensive grades:
OG Ronald Leary, 84.0
OT Doug Free, 83.3
WR Dez Bryant, 79.6
WR Cole Beasley, 78.6
QB Dak Prescott, 76.5
Top targets in sync with Prescott
The Ravens did all they could to slow the rushing attack of the Cowboys, which worked for a half, but the passing game moved the ball at will for most of the game. Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Cole Beasley collectively caught 16 passes on 20 targets for 196 yards and three scores, two of them to Bryant. RG Zack Martin had some struggles in pass protection (three hurries), but the rest of the line gave up just three total pressures and no sacks.
Top defensive grades:
ED David Irving, 78.2
CB Anthony Brown, 74.1
S Byron Jones, 73.8
LB Damien Wilson, 71.2
ED Jack Crawford, 70.3
Scoreboard does not reflect poor all-around day on defense
The Cowboys struggled to stop Baltimore’s run game, as a number of front-seven players had below-average grades. OLB Sean Lee had the most notable of the poor performances, as he managed just one defensive stop, missed a tackle and had a team-low 35.1 run-defense grade. While five defenders gave up receptions of at least 18 yards, the Cowboys for the most part avoided giving up the huge, game-breaking play that has long been the hallmark of the Ravens’ offense.
Quarterback grade: Joe Flacco, 74.3
Flacco had a reasonable game statistically, but it was his inability to connect on the long ball that really limited Baltimore’s offensive output. He did not complete any of his deep shots, as he went 0-for-4 on his attempts that traveled at least 20 yards through the air. Playing conservative and stopping the deep ball were clearly at the top of Dallas’ defensive priorities, as the Cowboys blitzed on just five of 37 Flacco dropbacks.
Top offensive grades:
OG Marshal Yanda, 84.7
C Jeremy Zuttah, 83.4
OG Vladimir Ducasse, 81.2
WR Steve Smith, 81.1
OT Ronnie Stanley, 78.3
Big day across the board for the offensive line
The Ravens did a disservice to themselves by rushing just 15 times on the day, as the offensive line was able to open up huge holes throughout the game. RBs Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon combined for 82 yards on 14 carries, and for the game the Ravens averaged 6.3 yards per carry on the ground. The offensive line was just as strong in pass protection, as it gave up just two hurries. (TE Dennis Pitta was responsible for the only sack and hit yielded by Baltimore.)
Top defensive grades:
NT Brandon Williams, 75.5
LB Zachary Orr, 74.4
ED Terrell Suggs, 74
CB Shareece Wright, 67.2
ILB CJ Mosley, 64.9
Rough day for the entire Ravens secondary
The Ravens offered little resistance to Dallas’ passing game, starting with CBs Shareece Wright and Tavon Young. The duo combined to give up 14 catches on 17 targets for 170 yards and two scores, although Wright was able to break up two throws. C.J. Mosley and Zachary Orr weren’t any better, as they gave up catches all eight times they were targeted.
PFF Game-Ball Winner: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott
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