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ARLINGTON, Texas -- Another week, another mostly rough start for the Dallas Cowboys offense led by backup quarterback Joe Milton in a 31-13 defeat against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished with 122 yards and an interception on 9 of 18 passing, and he was replaced by Will Grier with just over nine minutes left to play in the game. 

"If it wasn't for the interception, I feel like it would have been a smooth C+, but right now, I still feel like I give myself a D," Milton said postgame. "I got to clean my eyes up and just understand if the boundary safety does roll down on that side, just suspect something over the top if it isn't Cover Zero."

A week ago, the Los Angeles Rams led the Cowboys 14-0 at the end of the first quarter after Dallas ran just six plays for a gain of a yard in an eventual 31-21 defeat. On Saturday night back in the friendly confines of AT&T Stadium against the Ravens, it was more of the same. 

Dallas' offense also ran six plays in the first quarter, but this time for a minus five yards. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had a more balanced pass to run ratio to begin Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday with three passes to three runs after six passes and zero runs in the opening quarter at the Rams. Veteran running back Miles Sanders gained a yard up the middle on his opening carry before losing five yards on a run to the left on the ensuing play that put the Cowboys on their own three. 

Milton didn't see the Ravens' pressure coming off the right edge on a third down cornerback blitz, and Baltimore sacked him for safety on the first third down of the Cowboys' night. Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin took Milton down on a play that highlighted a glaring need for a heightened awareness from the second-year passer going forward. Milton had wide receiver Jonathan Mingo open on the play, but he didn't get the football out in time: he appeared completely blindsided. However, Milton wasn't helped by his special teams unit. They committed a block in the back penalty on a punt return that caused Dallas' opening drive to begin on the seven. 

"Just looking at Mingo, knowing that he beat the corner, seeing the boundary safety roll down to that side and just knowing that I had a one on one over there with Mingo in that corner, I just trusted Mingo," Milton said. "I just got to fix my eyes and see the post safety rolling over there. ... I just didn't see him [Martin] because there was a bunch over there, and he [Martin] was really between the tight end and a bunch [formation of receivers], so I really just couldn't see him."

After falling behind 5-0 early, Dallas' defense came to Milton's aid. Four-year cornerback Andrew Booth, a 2022 second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings, ran back an interception of former Cowboys teammate Cooper Rush 40 yards for the first touchdown of the game -- a pick six. That gave the Cowboys a 7-5 lead over the Ravens with 1:31 left in the first quarter. The score marked the first Dallas' lead of the preseason under Schottenheimer. Upon watching the replay, it's obvious Booth had his eyes on Rush the entire play, which allowed him to read Rush like a book to reel in the interception.

"I was [baiting Rush]. I got in my press bell, and I had my eyes on the quarterback. He [the receiver] didn't," Booth said postgame. "I didn't want to P.I. [commit a pass interference penalty], and I kind of reached over him, but I held back. So I kind of tipped it, and so I was able to take it to the end zone. ... I'm going to go back and watch it 1,000 times over."

Overall, Dallas was outgained 111 total yards to minus 5 by Baltimore in the first quarter. The Ravens racked up seven first downs to the Cowboys' zero. That's why first-round rookie right guard Tyler Booker, starting center Cooper Beebe and fill-in starting left tackle Nate Thomas remained in the game for Dallas' third offensive drive in the middle of the second quarter. Baltimore outgained Dallas 399-176 overall.

The Cowboys' first first down of the night occurred on a seven-yard rush from running back Miles Sanders behind Booker, who opened up a nice running lane for the veteran back to pick up three and move the chains. 

At the end of the first half, an interception by nickel corner Kemon Hall gave Dallas a chance to tie the game, trailing 15-7 with 1:34 left and at the Ravens' 41. However, Milton couldn't resist his own impulses and gave the football right back to Baltimore.

It appeared as though Milton was still chasing the rush from his big play, deep ball touchdown pass to wide receiver Jalen Brooks from Dallas' joint practice with the Rams on Aug. 5. He threw a deep ball interception in the end zone a week ago in the preseason opener at the Rams while looking for wide receiver Ryan Flournoy, and this week, he threw an end zone interception on a deep ball intended for WR Jonathan Mingo. Both end zone heaves in preseason games were into double coverage. Milton ended the half with 14 yards and an interception on two of eight passing.

"I just got to get my eyes correct, seeing the post safety roll over the top, and that's pretty much it," Milton said. 

Baltimore led Dallas 18-7 at halftime after the Cowboys mustered just 31 yards of total offense and only two first downs. Cooper Rush, Milton's predecessor with Dallas behind Dak Prescott for most of the last eight seasons, helped guide the Ravens on four scoring drives with 16 first downs for 273 total yards. Rush finished his night at the half with 198 yards, a touchdown pass (one yard) and two interceptions on 20 of 30 passing. 

Milton was able to hit Mingo down the right sideline on a go route for a strong gain of 49 yards on third-and-8 despite Baltimore's pass rush bearing down on him with 10:41 left to play in the third quarter. That's far and away his best in-game throw as a Cowboy with Milton gaining more yards for Dallas on that throw than the entire team had in the first half, 31. Mingo exited later on in that drive with a knee injury and didn't return. 

That play was also Booker's favorite play, and one he'll take with him going forward into the regular season.

"My most memorable play is probably when Joe had that long pass on third down," Booker said postgame. "They brought a stunt, and we passed it off pretty well. That's something we practiced a lot during this week."

Given the rollercoaster play from Milton, it's impressive Matt Eberflus' defense was able to generate multiple takeaways via interceptions and keep the Cowboys from being completely embarrassed on the scoreboard. Grier wasn't much better, finishing with 33 yards on one of five passing and a fumble lost. Four plays into Grier's night, he was strip-sacked by Ravens undrafted rookie linebacker Jay Higgins for Dallas' second turnover of the night. 

Most, if not all, of the standouts from Saturday night for Dallas are from the defensive side of the ball. 

Standouts

Linebacker Damone Clark. He produced seven tackles and a co-game-high two tackles for loss. Clark's athleticism and burst certainly flashed on Saturday night against the Ravens after the best training camp of his four-season career in 2025. 

"I'm confident, and I say credit to the coaches," Clark said postgame. "Credit to myself for putting in the extra time. If you want something, you have to put in the extra time. That's something I've been harping on myself about doing."

Cornerback Kemon Hall. Hall, a fourth-year undrafted free agent, is in a dogfight with rookie undrafted corner Zion Childress and 2021 sixth-round pick cornerback Israel Mukuamu for the starting nickel cornerback job. A play like this will certainly help Hall's case. 

Cornerback Andrew Booth. He did score the only touchdown of the first half by baiting Rush into a 40-yard pick-six. He'll likely make the Cowboys roster by default with both Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs and third-round rookie Shavon Revel still nursing knee injuries. 

Top rookies

First-round rookie right guard Tyler Booker played into the second half after not suiting up against the Rams, and he "definitely" felt like it was the debut he wanted to have."

"Definitely," Booker said postgame. ... "Today was big for me. My first real NFL action, but also figuring out my routine. Just the simple fact that we get here at a certain time that's different from when I was at Alabama. Really just finding my routine pregame."

Seventh-round rookie running back Phil Mafah displayed strong contact balance on his first run of the night for eight yards. He finished the night with seven yards rushing on three carries. 

Who struggled 

Milton. On top of missing a corner blitz for a safety on the opening drive and his ill-advised interception, he also scrambled himself into the Ravens' pass rush on a third-and-4 just before halftime. That forced a throwaway and an ensuing punt back to the Ravens. Milton needs more reps to marinate because his in-game awareness and decision-making process very much remains a work in progress. 

Running back Miles Sanders. He finished with 15 yards rushing on 7 carries for a yards per carry average of 2.1. ,and he also hindered the Cowboys' offensive efforts in critical situations. He lost five yards on an outside run to the left on second-and-9 from the Dallas eight on the opening drive, and one play later, Milton took a three-yard sack on a corner blitz for a safety. On a fourth-and-1 from the Ravens' 45, Dallas' best field position up to that point with 7:37 left in the opening half, Sanders couldn't get his pad level low enough and got stuffed for no gain. Given he's a vet and struggling like this, he might have played himself on to the chopping block with one week left in the preseason. 

Wide receiver Jalen Cropper needed to help Milton out early. The rocket-armed quarterback hit him right in the hands deep downfield on third-and-8 on Dallas' second drive of the game, but he dropped the football. That forced a punt and another slow start for the Cowboys' offense. 

Dallas' depth pieces have much to clean up on offense in the Cowboys' preseason finale on Friday at AT&T Stadium against the Atlanta Falcons.