The Dallas Cowboys went into Week 3 needing to prove that they weren't as bad as they played last week. However, they may have reaffirmed that thought rather than changing it.

Sunday afternoon was another frustrating outing for the Cowboys, who lost to the Baltimore Ravens 28-25 and dropped to 1-2 on the season.

With the defense unable to stop the run and the offense unable to sustain momentum for much of the afternoon, Dallas finds itself back to the drawing board ahead of a quick turnaround in Week 4 when it travels to play the New York Giants on Thursday night.

Here are three takeaways from the Cowboys' second straight loss:

GAME RECAP: Cowboys fall to Ravens at home but Aubrey makes record-setting kick

The defense gets embarrassed once again

Anything the Ravens wanted on the ground, they could have Sunday against the Cowboys. The combination of Jackson and Henry ran for 238 rushing yards and three touchdowns combined, and it was Jackson who put the exclamation point on the afternoon with a 10-yard gain to put an end to Dallas' comeback hopes.

With the ability to gash the defense with chunk run after chunk run, Jackson didn't need to sit back and throw the ball and the Ravens didn't feel the need to be creative in their approach.

Sunday's performance marks the second consecutive game in which the Dallas run defense has looked utterly inept, and this looks like a potentially season-defining issue.

With no playmakers in the interior defensive line and a lack of depth at the position dating back to last season, the blueprint is out for Dallas. All you have to do is run against the Cowboys, and good things will happen.

Discipline is a real issue for the Cowboys

Despite two blowouts in back-to-back weeks, no one can quite beat the Cowboys like they can beat themselves. With six penalties on the day, Dallas continuously got in their own way, stunting any ability to sustain a comeback.

They lack discipline, not only in the penalty category but also in assignment-based football, which prevents them from being effective on defense and renders them ineffective on offense.

With so much on the line for Mike McCarthy and the other coaches, who could in a "lame duck" year, this season's version of the Cowboys has looked undisciplined and unfocused.

Too little, too late

It took until the middle of the fourth quarter to score a touchdown, but when the Cowboys did, they began a ferocious comeback that was followed by two more scores, cutting the deficit to just three points.

Then a common sight reoccurred: The defense was unable to get the stop needed to give the offense the ball back.

The fight was valiant, but it was just too little, too late Sunday.

From unsettled protection up front to a nonexistent running game, Dallas often asks Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to play hero ball to generate offense. Coupled with a defense struggling mightily, this approach isn't sustainable, and others need to find a way to elevate if they are going to win games.

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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Dallas Cowboys lose to Baltimore Ravens: 3 takeaways