The Baltimore Ravens take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13, as they begin their return to a normal football schedule again.

Both the Ravens and Cowboys were expected to be special squads this season, led by young quarterbacks, tough rushing attacks, and capable defenses. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed both teams’ hopes. Now with the final stretch of the 2020 season in front of them, both Dallas and Baltimore are looking to go on a strong run to finish the season and squeak into the postseason. That all begins this week as both teams are eyeing up a critical win.

There’s so much uncertainty surrounding both the Ravens and Cowboys. For Baltimore, it’s a roster that’s still just coming back from the Reserve/COVID-19 list while Dallas is still putting starters on injured reserve this week.

We here at Ravens Wire do our best to predict how this game will go given what’s known and our experience with what Baltimore tends to do in these situations. Of the five of us, only one person had a prediction below 30 combined points while the rest had predictions going above 40 combined points.

Matthew Stevens:

Ravens 34 – Cowboys 9

There’s not much of a reason to have whoever starts at quarterback throw the football more than 10 times in this matchup. Dallas has been dreadful against the run and with all four running backs healthy and off the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Baltimore can simply lean on that group to get the job done.

Really, it’s the Ravens’ defense that should make fans nervous. Despite a masterful showing last week against the Steelers with several impact players out, Baltimore’s defense hasn’t been consistent this season, especially against the run. With Ezekiel Elliott up this week, the Ravens are going to have to play great football to limit him. But they also can’t oversell to stop the run as quarterback Andy Dalton has more than enough weapons to shred a still-ailing secondary.

Those concerns aside, the Ravens show up when absolutely needed and when people doubt them. With almost all the playoff teams winning in Week 13, the pressure is on Baltimore to keep up and find room to squeak into the postseason. I expect the Ravens to play the best football we’ve seen from them this season in an absolute drubbing of the Cowboys.

Robert Sobus:

Ravens 31 – Cowboys 16

The Ravens were ravaged by COVID-19 in Week 12, forcing multiple players to miss an important game against the then-undefeated Steelers. Ultimately, those losses proved to be too much for Baltimore to overcome, seeing Pittsburgh beat Baltimore 19-14.

The Ravens are now in jeopardy of missing the playoffs, being two games behind the 7th seed Indianapolis Colts in the AFC playoff picture. With Baltimore having their backs against the wall they will look to put Dallas out early. I expect the Lamar Jackson of 2019 that Ravens fans have been waiting all season to see to suit up this week and take care of business with everything on the line.

James Trefry:

Cowboys 38 – Ravens 35

I believe this matchup will be a shootout.

Many offenses have had their best games against the Cowboys and this will be Lamar Jackson’s day to shine, scoring five total touchdowns — four through the air and one on the ground. Marquise Brown will also get involved catching 2 of those touchdown passes after a big showing last week against the Steelers.

However, that offensive production won’t be enough to get the job done. I believe the Cowboys will emerge victorious in a game that features multiple second-half lead changes. Baltimore will shut down Ezekiel Elliott early which will force former Bengal-turned-Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton to make plays. He will find his groove with his receivers and match Jackson’s big day. Look for a couple of big plays to Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. Dallas will also score a defensive touchdown off a Jackson interception.

Alex Bente:

Ravens 19 – Cowboys 9

The Ravens are still recovering from injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak. While having Lamar Jackson back should be an asset to the offense, there are still several lingering question marks. How well this unit can perform without key weapons like Willie Snead and Mark Andrews remains to be seen, especially given the inconsistency we’ve seen all year.

That said, if Baltimore’s defense plays anywhere close to the level we saw against the Steelers, the Cowboys are in for a long and frustrating evening. In fact, Andy Dalton might be waking up in a cold sweat thinking about facing the Ravens defense again, especially this iteration.

If Jackson and the Ravens’ running game can establish themselves on the ground early, getting back to basics with what they do best, they should be able to control this game early and throughout. It might not be the flashiest affair, but it should be enough to grind it out and walk away with the win. 

Kevin Oestreicher:

Ravens 27 – Cowboys 20

One could argue that the Ravens need to win the last five games in 2020 to make the playoffs, and it all starts with the Dallas Cowboys. Baltimore should run the football early and often, especially against Dallas who boasts the worst run defense in the NFL, giving up over 150 yards per game on the ground. If the Ravens can establish their run game early, that will open up their passing game as well as force the Cowboys to throw the football more. Baltimore should win this game in a game that looks closer than it actually will be.