Cowboys players sound alarms about facing Ravens' Lamar Jackson in Brazil

Over the first two weeks of the 2026 season, the defense of the Dallas Cowboys did not have much success limiting the yardage that mobile quarterbacks picked up with their legs. 

Up next for the Dallas defense is a Week 3 matchup versus a Baltimore Ravens side that features Lamar Jackson, arguably the greatest running quarterback in NFL history. Linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku is among the Cowboys players who understand the challenge he and his teammates will face in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the final Sunday of September.

Stopping Lamar Jackson is "easier to say than to do"

"We all know what it is," Ezeiruaku recently said, per Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys' website. "You guys know. We know as players the type of guy he is. Somebody who can throw the ball, but also run the ball at a very high level. It's easier to say than to do, but our job is to go out there and go do. That's what we're tasked with." 

In a Week 1 loss to the New York Giants, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart rushed for 54 yards on 11 carries. He also completed 23-of-29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns that evening. 

This past Sunday, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels rushed for 69 yards against Dallas before he suffered a dislocated left elbow late in the game's first half. The Cowboys went on to earn a 37-20 victory.

"Just being disciplined," defensive tackle Kenny Clark said about how the Cowboys must approach the Jackson assignment. "Communication, just understanding our rush lanes, playing with extension, powering offensive linemen, and just restricting those gaps so you can't get through. But the main thing is just staying disciplined and communicating."

Cowboys understand Lamar Jackson is a versatile quarterback

ESPN stats show that what is supposed to be an improved Dallas defense from what that unit was 12 months ago gave up the league's third-most rushing yards (347) over the season's first two weeks. Ezeiruaku knows that Jackson, a two-time regular-season Most Valuable Player, can beat the Cowboys with both his legs and his arm. 

"How versatile he is," Ezeiruaku added about what he admires about Jackson. "How he's honed is as being a quarterback who can sit in the pocket, take hits, deliver big shots down the field. But at the same time, we all know what it is. He can run that ball too. That's something that's very admirable. It's a different beast when you got to go up against it, and you're preparing and locking in throughout the week."

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 1-1 Cowboys as 3.5-point underdogs against the 1-1 Ravens. Perhaps the field conditions in Brazil will do the Dallas defense some favors as it pertains to slowing Jackson.