Ravens vs. Cowboys: 5 players to watch

The Baltimore Ravens will take on the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday night. The Ravens currently have 13 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so there are a lot of questions leading up to gameday. Here are five players to watch:

J.K. Dobbins

Dobbins was officially activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday.

Before testing positive for COVID-19, Dobbins emerged as the lead running back in the Ravens offense. He had 15 carries for 70 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Titans in his last game. Gus Edwards and Mark Ingram combined for only five carries for eight rushing yards in that matchup.

He will have a prime opportunity to produce on Tuesday. The Cowboys have given up 156.4 rushing yards per game this season; that is the most in the league. Last week, Antonio Gibson burned them for 115 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. Dobbins could be in store for a big game this week.

Dez Bryant

This will be the first time that Bryant will play against the Cowboys. He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the team. In three games with the Ravens, he has seven targets, four receptions, and 28 receiving yards. Still, he has been able to get himself open on routes, and if Lamar Jackson returns, he could have a breakout game against a struggling Cowboys defense.

Trace McSorley

Speaking of Jackson, his status for Tuesday’s game is still unclear. Technically, he is eligible to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday, but that does not mean that he will, in fact, be activated before Tuesday. If Jackson cannot play, McSorley would receive his first career start. Robert Griffin III was placed on the IR with a hamstring injury. Against the Steelers, McSorley completed two out of six passes for 77 yards, including this 70-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown:

He also rushed for 16 yards on three carries.

Yannick Ngakoue

The Cowboys are dealing with a number of injuries along their offensive line. Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz are on the IR. Zack Martin is out with a calf strain, and Cameron Erving is listed as doubtful. Erving and Martin had been the starting offensive tackles for the Cowboys with Smith out. Now, they have very limited options at tackle. The only true tackles remaining on the active roster are Terence Steele and Brandon Knight. Steele started nine games this season, but he was eventually benched. His PFF grade of 49.7 does not inspire much confidence, either. That leaves Knight, and no, it’s not the same Brandon Knight, who was posterized by DeAndre Jordan in the NBA. The Cowboys’ Knight has started five games in two seasons, but his play has not been inspiring. He’s allowed three sacks in limited action this season, and his PFF run block grade of 39.9 is 75th among 76 qualifying tackles.

The Ravens are obviously dealing with a lot of injuries, as well. Calais Campbell and Matt Judon are currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list, which leaves Ngakoue as the de facto top edge rusher. With Steele and Knight at tackle, Ngakoue should be able to have a field day against the Cowboys.

Marlon Humphrey

The Cowboys have a talented trio of wide receivers in Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. Luckily, the Ravens have one of the best defensive backs in the league in Humphrey.

Also, here is a noteworthy statistic. The Cowboys are leading the NFL with 13 fumbles, and Marlon Humphrey is leading the NFL with six forced fumbles. That is hard to ignore. I would not be surprised, if Humphrey forces another fumble on Tuesday.