Cowboys, Rams to meet in preseason return to Aloha State
The Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams meet tonight in Honolulu, a place that used to be a regular NFL stop for the Pro Bowl.
Instead, Hawaiians will see lots of backups for both teams, who faced off in a playoff game in January won by L.A. on its way to the Super Bowl.
“Hawaii is a magical place,” coach Jason Garrett said. “There is a great football tradition there, a lot of great players have come from there. One of our great players years ago, Mark Tuinei, is from Hawaii, and so many others.”
The first exhibition game in Hawaii since 1976 also figures to be Cowboys tight end Jason Witten’s return after a year in retirement as a broadcaster. The 11-time Pro Bowler is on the verge of setting a club record with a 16th season. The 37-year-old Witten already holds the Dallas records for catches and yards receiving and could threaten the mark for touchdowns receiving.
With two-time rushing champion Ezekiel Elliott about to miss his second preseason game in a holdout, rookie Tony Pollard should get a slightly longer look than he did in the opener at San Francisco. Playing just the first series against the 49ers, Pollard had four carries for 16 yards on a drive to a field goal. Alfred Morris, the primary replacement during Elliott’s six-game suspension two years ago, could see his first action of the preseason after signing during training camp.
Many of the Rams’ top players are not even making the trip to Hawaii. Coach Sean McVay intends to stick to his strategy of sitting out his key starters for the entire preseason.
After spending last week in Northern California ahead of a game in Oakland, the Rams are already a bit tired of life on the road again, so they’re only spending about 48 hours total in Hawaii. PATRIOTS REINSTATE GORDON >> The NFL has conditionally reinstated Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon.
Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Gordon that on Sunday, Gordon can rejoin the team for meetings and conditioning and individual workouts. After that, according to a league statement, “Subject to appropriate progress on clinical
care and other arrangements, he will be permitted to participate in team activities, including practice.”
But Gordon is barred from next Thursday’s game because of a lack of sufficient conditioning and practice time.
Gordon had been suspended indefinitely since December 2018 for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy.
There are no guarantees Gordon can help the team given his history of suspensions.
CHARGERS WITHOUT INJURED ALL-PRO S JAMES >> The Los Angeles Chargers will likely go into the regular season without one of their top defensive players for the second straight year.
All-Pro safety Derwin James is sidelined due to a foot injury suffered during Thursday’s practices with the New Orleans Saints. James has a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal of his right foot and was wearing a walking boot today.
Coach Anthony Lynn was hopeful James wouldn’t need surgery, but did not rule it out.
Last year, the Chargers were without defensive end Joey Bosa for the first nine games due to turf toe.