Wake up NFL fans, it’s game day again

Exactly 172 days ago, we all went into hibernation after the final NFL game of the 2024 season. NFL football hibernation, that is.

Oh, sure, we cracked open an eye for the NFL Draft in late April.

We even hit the snooze alarm when the free agent signings and trades hit.

But for the most part, we’ve been snoozing away. Waiting for the next NFL game to kick off.

That wait ends tonight.

Hall Of Fame Game

The annual Hall of Fame game kicks off from Canton, Ohio at 7 p.m. tonight on NBC.

It will feature two teams the Cowboys will be playing later on during the regular season.

In Week 14, the Cowboys will be at the Lions for a Thursday night game. Two weeks later they’ll be home to face the Los Angeles Chargers in a Sunday afternoon contest.

Don’t expect to see either of the Chargers or Lions starters much tonight, if at all.

At halftime, you can expect to see the four men who make up the Hall’s Class of 2025:

Eric Allen

Jared Allen

Antonio Gates

Sterling Sharpe

One still wonders how Darren Woodson remains on the outside looking in. One of the best safeties in both the history of the Cowboys and the NFL should have been inducted years ago.

By the time the 2026 Class is voted on, 22 seasons will have passed since Woodson last played.

The Cowboys Pre-Season Schedule

Dallas is 3-4 all-time in Hall of Fame games.

While the Cowboys aren’t in this year’s game, they will play three pre-season games this year, two of them at AT&T Stadium.

One week from this Saturday, on August 9th, the Cowboys will head out west to take on the Rams at 6 p.m. at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The following Saturday at home, the Cowboys will host the Ravens at 6 p.m.

Dallas’ final preseason tune-up comes on Friday, Aug. 22nd, at home against the Falcons at 7 p.m.

The Cowboys will open the regular season on the road 13 days later in Philadelphia. That Thursday night game on NBC will kick off at 7:20 p.m.

Dallas lost 13-12 last year to the Rams in the pre-season opener.

The last time the Cowboys were supposed to play the Ravens in the preseason was in 2020, but that game was canceled due to COVID.

The last time the teams met in the preseason was back in 2014. The Ravens won that game 37-30.

The Falcons defeated Dallas 20-9 back in the 2000 preseason, the last time the two teams met before the regular season.