News: BTB: Five bold predictions for the Cowboys in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game

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The Cowboys play a football game tonight. What beautiful words those are.

So here’s the thing. The Dallas Cowboys are playing in a football game tonight. That hasn’t been the case for exactly 200 days. This is exactly why none of us have slept this week, we’re that excited.

Before every Dallas Cowboys game this season I’ll be dropping five bold predictions for the upcoming game here at BTB. Let’s keep in mind what “bold predictions” means:

• They are bold. Saying “Zeke scores two touchdowns” is not bold.
• They are bold, but not inconceivable. I’m the biggest Jeff Heath truther out there, but he’s not snagging five interceptions in one game (because he’s snagging six, obviously).
• They are fun. We’re here to have a good time, and a good time we shall have.

Around this time last year things were a lot different with our Cowboys. Tony Romo was the starting quarterback, Kellen Moore broke his ankle, Dak Prescott was the quarterback in-the-waiting, and Jameill Showers was literally a quarterback.

The preseason can be a funny thing that can sometimes, in the case of the 2016 Cowboys, completely alter a franchise’s present and future. What will happen this preseason period for the Cowboys? Let’s boldly predict the first 20% of it.

Andy Jones leads the team in receiving yards


This is bold because this is Blogging The Boys and Noah Brown exists. You understand.

The reality of tonight is that there are going to be a lot of opportunities for both Jones and Brown, but considering that this is Brown’s first toe-dipping in NFL waters, Andy Jones is going to edge him out.

The big guns (Dez, T-Will, Cole, Switzerland because of injuries) won’t see much time, so that means Andy Jones is going to have a night that every Canton resident will remember for the rest of their lives.

The Cowboys force more turnovers than they score touchdowns


Let’s be real about tonight... it’s the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. This thing is about to be sloppier than the way the Lucky Whitehead situation sat with a majority of Dallas Cowboys fans.

Let’s also consider that both Blaine Gabbert and Trevor Knight are going to be playing quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals. With the exception of playing Eli Manning literally all the time, is there ever a more enticing scenario to reap turnovers?

Cowboys Bingo will be happening all season courtesy of OchoLive. Play along and enjoy!

If a turnover lands in the hands of Marquez White or Xavier Woods, you’ll be closer to hitting bingo courtesy of Cowboys Bingo presented by OchoLive (which you can now watch here on BTB).

The other half of this prediction isn’t accounting for a lot of scores by the Cowboys. Is that fair? Well, Cooper Rush will be taking a majority of the snaps at quarterback for Dallas. You tell me.

Rico Gathers will fumble twice


There are a lot of believers in Rico Gathers in BTB land, but there’s perhaps even more pressure on the shoulders of Uncle Rico to be something special for the Cowboys in 2017. Did you know he used to play basketball? (Bingo). This whole thing is still relatively new for him.

Gathers saw some playing time in last season’s preseason period, but not at the volume that he likely will this time around. He hasn’t had the most productive training camp period ever, and that might show up tonight.

The notion that Kellen Moore is the only left-handed quarterback in the league will be referenced


When I talked to Kellen Moore out in Oxnard I asked him if he was the only lefty quarterback in the NFL (Dez is a lefty and probably a better quarterback at times but still isn’t technically a QB...). He said that’s what he’d been told, which means it’s likely.

Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth are going to hit a dead period of time in the broadcast because... it’s the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. They’ll be deep down their listed rosters trying to come up with fun facts about anyone that they can.

What’s a fun fact? KELLEN MOORE IS LEFT-HANDED AND NO ONE ELSE IS! I think. Maybe.

Dan Skipper will not surrender a sack


I’m a big believer in Dan Skipper’s game, in fact the only thing that’s bigger than my belief might actually be Dan Skipper (he’s 6’10”).

There’s more mystery surrounding the Cowboys offensive line at this point in the season than there has been in quite some time, to the point that there are still a number of roster spots to be earned. Big Skip could be in line to make some headway towards one tonight.

I don’t care who the Arizona Cardinals have on their team. Dan Skipper is 6’10”. Bring it.

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