The Dallas Cowboys dropped a heartbreaker to the Baltimore Ravens with just one second left at Maracanã Stadium in Brazil, yet their position in most power rankings barely budged. Despite falling to 1-2 on the season, the Cowboys slipped no more than two places in rankings compiled by major outlets and even climbed a notch in several.
The final minute’s chaotic clock and playcalling decisions drew sharp criticism, with many pointing fingers at head coach Brian Schottenheimer. The rookie NFL head coach, now just 20 games into his tenure, faced scrutiny for his management in the closing seconds. His offseason moves clearly signaled a “win-now” approach, and losing a game that seemed within grasp could weigh heavily on Dallas’s 2026 campaign.
ESPN ranked the Cowboys 15th, a jump of one spot, noting George Pickens’s improved involvement despite lingering questions over his underwhelming production. “Pickens looked great in training camp, and he was the WR12 in our draft rankings. So it’s surprising to see he has not scored or registered a catch for at least 20 yards,” ESPN said. They pointed out Pickens’s average of 9.6 yards per catch and a stretch of five games without a touchdown, highlighting the Cowboys’ struggle to replicate the big-play style that defined their 2025 season.
NFL.com moved Dallas up to 11th, also up one place. They credited Dak Prescott’s continued elite-level play alongside receivers CeeDee Lamb and Pickens and praised rookie linebacker Jaishawn Barham’s first significant professional stop. The Cowboys’ defense, often criticized, earned a crucial goal-line stand that helped fuel a late comeback. However, NFL.com’s report pointed to the breakdown in the final seconds when the Ravens completed a deep pass, setting up a 56-yard game-winning field goal by Tyler Loop. The report summed up Schottenheimer’s late-game micromanagement as driven by a fear of defeat, calling it “a good lesson to learn in the first month of the season.”
The Athletic dropped the Cowboys one spot to 17th, attributing Sunday’s loss to a combination of defensive lapses and poor game management. They noted Prescott’s missed opportunity to connect with a wide-open Pickens late in the game, describing the quarterback’s career as “really good but not good enough to overcome everything else.” The outlet highlighted Prescott’s impressive career stats—fifth in passing yards, sixth in touchdowns, and 10th in EPA per dropback since 2016—but pointed out his playoff record includes only two wins.
CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports both ranked Dallas 16th, up one spot from before. CBS simply noted the difficulty of losing with a second left and previewed a tough upcoming matchup against a desperate Houston Texans team. Yahoo Sports was more critical of the final sequence, calling the last 23 seconds a “complete blow” for the Cowboys. They detailed the incomplete pass, false start, and Prescott’s decision to throw the ball away despite no pressure and a wide-open Pickens. Schottenheimer took responsibility for the conservative approach, saying he stressed avoiding a blown field goal opportunity.
Yahoo also pointed to a clock management error after the tying field goal, when the Cowboys kicked off for a touchback with seven seconds remaining. This gave the Ravens enough time to complete a game-winning 27-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers. Ravens head coach Jesse Minter admitted that with any less time, his team might have let the clock run out or gone to overtime.
Bleacher Report and USA Today both expressed concerns about Dallas’s defense. Bleacher Report criticized defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s setup in Rio de Janeiro, which left the middle of the field exposed and allowed Jackson to connect on that critical completion. The Cowboys have allowed nearly 400 total yards in each of their three games, highlighting ongoing issues. USA Today focused on poor timeout usage and coverage breakdowns, saying the final 15 seconds revealed “same old Cowboys” problems.
SI.com kept the Cowboys steady at 19th but noted Schottenheimer’s willingness to accept blame for the late-game mishaps. They described this self-criticism as an “appropriate self-own” that might help defuse a rocky start.
Despite the loss and its dramatic finish, the Cowboys remain largely steady in public perception and power rankings. The incidents in Brazil have sparked debate over coaching decisions and defensive shortcomings, but Dallas’s core talent and potential have kept them from a significant fall. The team now faces the challenge of regrouping quickly for their next test against the Texans.
According to Yahoo Sports.