CANTON, Ohio, Sporting Alert – The Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals will kick off the 2017 NFL pre-season campaign when they face-off in the Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, on Thursday night.
Live streaming coverage of this game will be available on the NBC Sports Online Player, while NBC Network will have the live nationally televised broadcast, starting at 8:00 pm ET.
It's gameday.
Catch the @AZCardinals vs #Cowboys game at 5 p.m. on 98.7 FM, Arizona's Sports Station. Pregame coverage starts at 1:30 p.m. pic.twitter.com/XTNToaIdqJ
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) August 3, 2017
Both teams are currently still in their condition phase of the season’s preparations but are hoping to provide some entertainment for the fans.
A number players will miss the game to continue their respective preparations, while others will play limited minutes to allow the youngsters to shine.
In fact, the Cardinals revealed this week on their website that their starters won’t feature, as coach Bruce Arians wants to avoid as many injuries as possible before the start of the new season.
This means the likes of quarterback Carson Palmer, running back David Johnson, cornerback Patrick Peterson, safety Tyrann Mathieu, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, as well as outside linebacker Chandler Jones will not take the field.
First-round pick, inside linebacker Haason Reddick, will feature in a few snaps, but Arians said he won’t play very much.
“He’s not going to play a ton,” Arians said. “He’s going to play, though. Injuries at some positions could cause guys to play more than I want them to play.”
Heading to Canton! #DALvsAZ pic.twitter.com/6iHOCUAkRo
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 3, 2017
At the same time, several of the younger players are looking forward to getting a taste of the professional setting.
“It’s everything you’ve been dreaming about since you were a kid,” Cardinals’ third-round pick Chad Williams said.
“Finally, your dreams come true and you get to run under the NFL light in an NFL atmosphere. I’m thanking God for that.”
Arians also confirmed the Thursday’s game will be “all about young guys.”
“[I’m] anxious to see them cover and block and return kicks,” he added.
Dallas Cowboys, in the meantime, plan to build on the success of last season and head coach Jason Garrett will use this pre-season to shape the team into the way he wants them to play in the upcoming campaign.
Here's a breakdown of who to watch during tonight's Hall of Fame Game and why.https://t.co/ZlkvM28jZz pic.twitter.com/HstdQ5Qc3O
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 3, 2017
Meanwhile, former starter Blaine Gabbert will lead the Cardinals’ offense for the first half of the Hall of Fame Game and he sees it as the perfect chance to show that he’s still capable.
“It’s a great opportunity for any of the young guys, myself included, when you can play a first half, the second half, the entire game,” said Gabbert.
“You can really get into the rhythm rather than just playing maybe a series here, a quarter here.
“You can really get into the flow of the game and really start executing at a high level.”
Undrafted free agent Trevor Knight will take over as the quarterback for the second half.
Arians, in the meantime, admits that Gabbert looks good in practice but he wants to see the 27-year-old live action.
“You want to see him with live bullets,” Arians said. “I see the talent in practice. Games are different.
“A different secondary, a different front and all those things — how you react to it, how you put all those pieces together in one day. That’s all we practice for these guys, one day.”
