After a big-time win against the Washington Commanders last Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys travel out of the country this week to try to build a winning streak. Dallas will face the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil on Sunday.
Before the Cowboys and Ravens square off, here are two players Dallas should use more in this South American matchup.
1) ED Malachi Lawrence
The Cowboys made a big gamble this offseason, assuming that first-round pick Malachi Lawrence could be an impact pass rusher in his first NFL season. While Lawrence showed
plenty of pass-rush potential in college, it’s hard for any edge defender to come in and be a consistent pass-rush threat right away.
Lawrence’s NFL career got off to a slow start with an uneventful performance in Week 1 against the Giants. To the 23-year-old’s credit, he only played 11 pass-rush snaps, so he wasn’t given much of a chance to make an impact. In Week 2 against the Commanders, Dallas upped Lawrence’s pass-rush opportunities, raising his pass-rush snaps in the game to 16.
The increased playing time led to an increase in production as Lawrence recorded three total pressures, two hurries, and a QB hit against Washington. Lawrence’s 74.6Pro Football Focuspass rush grade was the highest of any Dallas defender, as was his 33.3% Win%.
Facing off against a talented Ravens offense this week, led by superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Cowboys need to give Lawrence even more opportunities to get after the quarterback. Getting to Jackson, and ultimately getting hits on him, will be a top priority if Dallas wants to walk out of Brazil with a win.
He may not be a complete player just yet, but Lawrence is clearly one of Dallas’ best pass-rush threats at the moment and should be treated as such.
2) WR George Pickens
After a career year in 2025, George Pickens has gotten off to a bit of a slow start this season. Through two games, Pickens has caught nine passes for 68 yards, an average of 7.6 Y/R, and is yet to find the end zone. On Pickens nine receptions, he is yet to record a catch of more than 12 yards, something very uncharacteristic for his game.
Last week against the Commanders, Pickens saw limited opportunities as CeeDee Lamb was the focal point of Dallas’ offensive attack. On Sunday against a much more talented Ravens defense, the Cowboys will need to get Pickens going alongside Lamb if they want to walk out of Brazil with a victory. The Ravens gave up three receptions of 20+ yards against the Saints last week, so Pickens should have a chance to make some big plays,
Whether it’s getting him a chance to make plays deep down the field or getting the ball in his hands quickly with a chance to run after, Dallas must push the ball to Pickens on Sunday and get him involved early and often.
