The Ravens Cowboys Rio game delivered everything the NFL could have hoped for from its historic first regular-season game in Brazil — and a finish nobody will forget. Tyler Loop drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Baltimore Ravens (2-1) over the Dallas Cowboys (1-2) 34-31 on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, before an announced crowd of 72,792.
Ravens Cowboys Rio Game Ends in Last-Second Thriller
The final seconds were pure chaos. Dallas had just tied the game at 31-31 on Brandon Aubrey’s 23-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining, after a Nate Wiggins pass-interference flag gave the Cowboys first-and-goal at the 2-yard line. The Cowboys looked headed for overtime — until Lamar Jackson took over.
Jackson completed a 27-yard strike to Zay Flowers to move the Ravens into field-goal range, then called timeout with just one second left on the clock. That set the stage for Loop, who calmly stepped up and nailed the 56-yarder as the clock hit zero, sending the Rio crowd into delirium. According to Reuters’ game report, the kick sealed a statement win for Baltimore on one of the biggest international stages the league has ever used.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ Offensive Firepower
Jackson was efficient and explosive all afternoon. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, adding 50 rushing yards to keep Dallas’s defense honest. His connection with Flowers on the game’s decisive drive was the latest reminder that few players in league history are as dangerous with a minute left on the clock.
The ground game did its share of heavy lifting too. Derrick Henry carried the ball 26 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns, wearing down the Cowboys’ front seven as the afternoon wore on. And the night’s most important scoring play before the finale belonged to rookie tight end Matt Hibner, whose go-ahead touchdown with 1:43 left briefly looked like it would be the game-winner — until Dallas answered.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys Fight to the End
Dallas nearly spoiled the party. Quarterback Dak Prescott completed 25 of 40 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown, and star receiver CeeDee Lamb was brilliant, catching seven passes for 112 yards. The Cowboys’ final regulation drive — capped by Aubrey’s tying field goal — showed real resolve, especially after the pass-interference call on Wiggins breathed life into a drive that had stalled.
But in the end, the Cowboys fell to 1-2 on the season, while the Ravens improved to 2-1. USA Today’s Week 3 winners-and-losers column noted the Cowboys among the weekend’s losers, a fair assessment for a team that came agonizingly close to a signature road win in front of a global audience and left with nothing but a long flight home.
A Historic Night for the NFL in Brazil
Beyond the score, the Ravens Cowboys Rio game was a landmark for the league’s international ambitions. This was the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game played in Rio de Janeiro, and staging it at the iconic Maracanã Stadium — a venue synonymous with Brazilian soccer history — gave the occasion genuine grandeur. An announced crowd of 72,792 showed up, a figure that speaks to the league’s growing global reach.
The NFL has been steadily expanding its international footprint in recent years, with games in London, Munich, and São Paulo. But Rio is something different — one of the world’s great sporting cities, hosting American football at its most famous venue, with a walk-off 56-yard field goal as the exclamation point. League officials will no doubt point to this game — the drama, the crowd, the finish — as validation of the entire international strategy. If the goal was to win new fans in Brazil, a walk-off winner in front of nearly 73,000 people is about as good an advertisement as the sport could ask for. For Sunday’s other dramatic NFL finish, read our report on Travis Hunter’s first NFL interception and the wild ball-boy spat that followed in Jacksonville’s rout of the Patriots.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Ravens Cowboys Rio game?
The Baltimore Ravens beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-31 on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, on a 56-yard walk-off field goal by Tyler Loop as time expired.
Where was the Ravens Cowboys game played?
The game was played at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Rio. The announced attendance was 72,792.
How did the Ravens win in Rio?
After Dallas tied the game at 31-31 on Brandon Aubrey’s 23-yard field goal with seven seconds left, Lamar Jackson completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers and called timeout with one second remaining, setting up Tyler Loop’s game-winning 56-yard field goal.
What were Lamar Jackson’s stats in the Rio game?
Lamar Jackson completed 15 of 20 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, and added 50 rushing yards. Derrick Henry ran 26 times for 89 yards and two scores, per Reuters.
