Cowboys news: Dallas loses Hall of Fame game, but rookie Micah Parsons shines

What we learned from Steelers’ win over Cowboys in Hall of Fame Game - Nick Shook, NFL.com

Some initial thoughts from the Hall of Fame game.

For the first time since 2019, NFL preseason football was played on Thursday night. Though many of the teams’ brightest stars did not see action, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys still had plenty of talent on center stage. First-round rookies Micah Parsons and Najee Harris made their debuts for Dallas and Pittsburgh, respectively, but it was veteran running back Kalen Ballage who tallied the game-winning score for the Steelers in a 16-3 win Thursday in the Hall of Fame Game.

Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Dallas Cowboys 3

1) The Cowboys struck gold with Micah Parsons. Even if it was rather brief, the first-round selection had quite a debut, flying all over the field and getting in on the action on nearly every snap he played. Parsons recorded three tackles, recovered a fumble, and constantly chased down ball carriers no matter the location. Three tackles might not be all that impressive on paper, but the tape does not lie, and gave this writer the feeling he’d be headed toward 10 tackles before halftime. When watching Parsons live, it was impossible to overlook No. 11. Just wait until he gets a full game’s worth of action.

Micah Parsons shines in preseason opener, while Cowboys defense shows few signs of progress - Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News

Just like every preseason game you try to build on the positives and improve on the negatives.

CANTON, Ohio — The first NFL game, whether it’s preseason or regular season, is always an anxious time.

You just don’t want to make a mistake. You want to make an impression. You want to make the team.

Cowboys first-round pick, linebacker Micah Parsons has nothing to worry about when it comes to his place on the team. He’s on it.

Thursday night, Parsons started in the Hall of Fame game at linebacker alongside veterans Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.

It doesn’t matter what the future holds for these three players, for this preseason opener for the Cowboys against the Steelers, it was time for Parsons to showcase what he could do.

In just one quarter of play, Parsons was impressive.

“It felt good,” Parsons said at halftime of the Cowboys-Steelers game. “It was bittersweet that I didn’t get to play a lot. I felt like it was a good experience to get my feet wet and get a feel for the game. I made some mistakes; there were some good things. I am just going to build off for it.”

Dallas Cowboys: Nahshon Wright turns heads in Hall of Fame Game - Jacob Schyvinck, NFLmocks.com

The young rookie had an impressive debut in his first NFL action.

Dallas Cowboys corner Nahshon Wright had a good performance in the Hall of Fame Game.

The Dallas Cowboys struggled on Thursday night in the Hall of Fame Game, falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-3. It was a tough outing in all phases, from special teams gaffes to sputtering on offense, but all wasn’t lost, as rookie corner Nahshon Wright put in a solid performance.

The selection of Wright in the third round by Dallas was greeted with plenty of shock and skepticism. It was clear that the Cowboys needed serious help at the position (having drafted Kelvin Joseph one round prior), but picking Wright seemed extremely early from the reaction of many analysts.

Cowboys’ Jerry Jones announces Jimmy Johnson will be inducted into the Ring of Honor in Dallas - Patrik Walker, CBS Sports

Jerry Jones makes it official at the Hall of Fame game, Jimmy Johnson will be in the Ring of Honor.

Never say never, because eventually never might somehow evolve into obviously. Such is the case for the Dallas Cowboys, who have been bearing the cross of the infamous split from head coach Jimmy Johnson in the mid-1990s, and after two Super Bowl wins, no less. Fast forward to 2021, and owner Jerry Jones has mustered just one additional championship and even that’s argued as a nod to the roster Johnson helped build — his replacement Barry Switzer being accused of simply keeping the Ferrari on the pavement during the 1996 season. And as Johnson readies to be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he and Jones officially buried their decades-long hatchet on national television.

On Thursday night, only minutes before the Hall of Fame Game kicked off in Canton, Ohio, between the Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers, Jones sat next to Johnson on the Fox Sports pregame show and announced the latter would be inducted into the coveted Ring of Honor in Dallas. It’s a moment no one ever thought would arrive, especially given just how toxic their divorce was and how much venom has been thrown in both directions in the years since.

Cowboys’ Dak Prescott ‘Being Cautious’ with Shoulder Injury, Taking It Day-by-Day - Scott Polacek, Bleacher Report

Nobody within the Cowboys organization seems too worried as Dak and the team look to take it slow moving forward.

Dak Prescott didn’t take the field for the Dallas Cowboys’ preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday and said he is taking things slowly with his injured shoulder.

“We’re being cautious,” he said, per Mike Leslie of WFAA. “We’re taking it day-by-day. We’re five weeks before the season opener, so I’ve got a lot of time. And I’m going to use that time to get myself ready for that game.”

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported Thursday that the Cowboys “fully expect” Prescott to start Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dallas previously announced the quarterback “has been limited to non-throwing drills the past week because of a strained shoulder muscle.”

Cowboys franchise value reaches $6.5 billion. Yes, with a B. Here’s how. - Cameron Burnett, Cowboys Wire

Dallas Cowboys continue to be the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones has been the mastermind in regards to the value of the Dallas organization. From the Super Bowl wins in the 90s to the construction of AT&T Stadium in 2009, it’s been a complete success, financially. Every year, Forbes releases their rankings in value for all NFL franchises and to no surprise, Dallas is on top yet again.

For the 15th year in a row. Even more amazing, when Forbes released their list of most valuable sports franchises in May, just three months ago, the value of the organization sat at a measly $5.7 million.

After a year in a pandemic where the salary cap dropped due to the financial losses, the Cowboys were one of two teams to have operating revenue of over $100 million and Dallas was the only one to make over $200 million in operating revenue. Since AT&T Stadium welcomed fans during the pandemic, the potential loss was limited in Dallas. The Cowboys averaged 29,187 fans at home games in 2020, under a third of their average in 2019. Over the last year, the Cowboys moved to $6.5 billion in value, $1.5 billion higher than any other NFL franchise.

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