The Hall of Fame match between Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers is slated for Thursday, August 5, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. It will serve as the opening match of the NFL 2021 preseason, celebrating the league’s 100th anniversary.
Dallas Cowboys vs Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Thursday, August 5 – 20:00 EDT
Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio
Weather: Partly cloudy, 28°C
The 2021 NFL preseason will kick off with a Hall of Fame Game, celebrating the league’s 100th birthday. The event organizers decided to choose two teams that have 11 Super Bowl wins between them. We’re talking about Pittsburgh Steelers (6 Super Bowls) and Dallas Cowboys (5 Super Bowls).
One would think that preseason games don’t matter much to the teams, as they have no competitive value. However, in this case, it’s not quite like that. The thing is that both Dallas and Pittsburgh would like to start their 2021 campaign with a victory.
Each team needs to work on their confidence, as the upcoming season isn’t going to be easy for either of them. The main worry for each side is the quarterback position.
No Dak Prescott in the 2021 Hall of Fame Game
Although he might not be an elite quarterback like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, or Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott is not far behind them. The guy has a lot of talent and is still reasonably young (28 years), so we could see him level up in the future.
Who knows, maybe he’d already been there if it wasn’t for a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 of the 2020 season? Before he got injured, Prescott was one of the top QBs in the league, with 1,856 passing yards in five games and 151 successful passes out of 222 attempted. His TD/interception ratio in those games was 9/4, while his passer rating was 99.6.
Knowing all this, you realize the importance of Prescott for Dallas. His ankle injury is in the past, but he’s now struggling with a shoulder injury. Without him to lead the Cowboys’ offence, their chances don’t look very good against the Steelers’ mighty defence.
Steelers’ Defense is Made of Steel!
When people discuss the Pittsburgh franchise, the man they talk about the most is their QB, Ben Roethlisberger. Sure, he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 21st century, but Big Ben is already 39. Plus, as his nickname suggests, he’s big, perhaps too big.
The guy’s been struggling with injuries for the last couple of seasons. In fact, he had to sit out most of the 2019 season due to an elbow injury. Furthermore, in 2020, we saw his form dip in the latter stages of the season, which many believed had to do with his fitness level.
To ensure Big Ben stays healthy in the regular season, the Steelers coach might decide to keep him off the field in the preseason. He could get a nod for the 2021 Hall of Fame Game but probably won’t stay on for too long.
Roethlisberger is arguably the biggest name in the Steelers’ roster, but it’s their defence that’s going to matter the most in 2021. The unsung heroes like T. J. Watt can really make a difference. Last season, the Steelers conceded only 312 points in the regular season – only Los Angeles Rams allowed fewer.
This season, they might do even better. And in the game against the Cowboys, they’re going to show what they’re made of!
Dallas Cowboys vs Pittsburgh Steelers Betting Picks
Even with Dak Prescott as their signal-caller, the Cowboys probably wouldn’t be able to score too many touchdowns against the Steelers. It’s just that Pittsburgh’s defence is so strong!
That said, we expect a low-scoring game tonight, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out as the winning team.
Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers – 1.80 Betway, 1.76 Bet365
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