The Dallas Cowboys are heading to Brazil for their Week 3 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, but Quinnen Williams knows the team has plenty to figure out before Sunday. With questions around the field at Maracanã Stadium, the defensive tackle plans to get a feel for the surface before picking his cleats.

Dallas will take a 10-hour flight to Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. Williams has experience playing internationally, having appeared in three games in London during his time with the New York Jets.

“Just looking for traction,” Williams said. “Are my feet going to be able to slip or not and different things like that. So yea, I'll definitely check it out when I get there.”

Once the game starts, Williams and the Cowboys will have a much bigger challenge in front of them. Lamar Jackson will lead the Ravens offense, and the two-time MVP can hurt defenses both through the air and on the ground.

“It’s super exciting… First time going to Brazil, but to win those games, you’ve got to be focused, you’ve got to be intentional and the urgency’s got to go up. So it’s super dope, but it’s a business trip,” Williams said, according to Dallascowboys.com.

Dallas has given up an NFL-high 126 rushing yards to quarterbacks through two games. Williams feels the matchups with Jaxson Dart and Jayden Daniels have given the defense something to learn from before facing Jackson.

“We had a great learning experience, the last game especially,” Williams said. “Just definitely focus it on it this week and learn from it and definitely make it an emphasis.”

The Cowboys also have Derrick Henry to worry about, while their own run defense looks to clean things up.

Dallas will be without Cobie Durant, DeMarvion Overshown, P.J. Locke and Malik Hooker. Williams believes the defense can handle the absences.

“Each and everybody on this defensive unit worked their tails off during training camp and during offseason,” Williams said. “The guys that they brought in were a phenomenal fit for this group. It’s really next man up mentality.”

The Cowboys will practice in Rio on Friday before visiting Maracanã on Saturday to get familiar with the field ahead of Sunday’s game.

But once the game begins, the Cowboys’ focus will shift to Derrick Henry and Baltimore’s ground game.

Can Quinnen Williams and the Cowboys hold up against Baltimore?

The Dallas Cowboys are heading to Brazil for a different kind of Week 3 experience, but once the game starts, their focus will be on stopping the Baltimore Ravens’ run game.

Lamar Jackson brings plenty of danger with his legs, while Derrick Henry remains one of Baltimore’s biggest weapons. For defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys need to fix their problems up front.

“It’s been challenging for us the whole season coming down and stopping the run, especially on the interior,” Williams said, according to Athlon Sports. “So we’re just really focused on homing in the urgency level on being disruptive up front, playing with our hands, getting knockback and doing things like that.”

Henry, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 252 pounds, is entering his 11th NFL season. Williams knows the Cowboys cannot afford to give him room to build momentum.

“No matter who it is back there, we have to do our job up front to stop the run,” Williams said.

Dallas has already allowed an NFL-high 126 rushing yards to quarterbacks on 19 carries this season, making Jackson another major concern.

Written by

Debanjali Rakshit