First Call: Ditching the Hall of Fame Game isn't a catastrophe, but it's something

For Friday’s First Call, let’s take a look at the cancellation of the NFL’s Hall of Fame Game.

It was supposed to feature the Steelers against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio.

Because of the coronavirus, that ain’t happenin’. Neither is the induction ceremony that would’ve included Steelers greats Troy Polamalu and Bill Cowher. Maybe they’ll be combined with the Sept. 17 ceremony of the remaining members of the centennial class, featuring former Steeler Donnie Shell.

The reaction I’ve heard and seen from Steelers fans since news broke Thursday morning is somewhere between “Eh, no big deal” and “These are the end times and football is going to be canceled forever.”

It is my nature to go the alarmist route. As a columnist and talk show host, life is more fun that way, although I won’t walk down that path on this one.

We’ll come back to that extreme in a bit. But the cancellation of the Hall of Fame Game is far from nothing.

For the Cowboys, in particular. They have a new head coach, and I’m sure they’d like the extra game for preparation. And even though starters usually play sparingly in the Hall of Fame Game—if at all—I wonder whether they would’ve played a bit more this year.

After all, as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, “We lost 900 snaps like everybody did with the virtual offseason.”

Let’s avoid blowing off that statement as it applies to the Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t thrown a pass of consequence since Week 2 of 2019. I’m sure he’s looking forward to getting back up to game speed.

Not to mention, he only has six quarters of experience with wide receiver Diontae Johnson and zero familiarity with rookie receiver Chase Claypool and free agent tight end Eric Ebron.

Furthermore, Tomlin mentioned that the offensive line is going to be shaken up. Getting game reps at left guard will be crucial for Matt Feiler, while the position battle to fill his former spot at right tackle between Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner is even more up in the air.

“No question that we as coaches will have less tools for the evaluation process just in terms of volume,” Tomlin added. “The number of snaps will be significantly less. You have to also acknowledge that there is an element of teaching that has been lost in the virtual offseason, and that could affect the competition, at least at the initial stages.”

If the Hall of Fame Game was going to be only the first of five preseason games, I’d be less concerned. But the fact all of the NFL may lose two preseason games—as has been rumored—now you are talking about the Steelers having just eight quarters of preseason football to work out these questions.

I was hoping that when talk of canceling two preseason games cropped up, maybe the Steelers and Cowboys would still get the Hall of Fame Game as a third while everyone else only got their last two.

No such luck.

Now, for the “Covid-19 is coming for all of us and the NFL will be postponed entirely by next month” crowd, I dunno. Maybe they are right, and this is the first sign of that possibility.

Keep in mind, this is a real departure for the NFL. By hook or by crook, the league has managed to get around any postponement or cancellation to date.

Whether that’s been an online draft, virtual offseason meetings and workouts, or reconfigured training camp locations, the NFL has chugged along through its offseason undeterred.

Until this.

So this is a rare concession from the NFL that it isn’t immortal against a disease whose mortality rate has been the talk of the globe for four months. For Tomlin’s part, he’s holding out hope that some semblance of a preseason can happen.

“I’m always an optimistic person,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “And I’ve been a part of the process. I’ve had intimate conversations with logistical people and professionals — and there’s probably greater comfort when you’re a part of the process than when you’re outside. So it allows me to be optimistic.”

But the players — such as Steelers player rep Cameron Heyward — seem less than surprised. Last week, he predicted that the Hall of Fame Game likely wouldn’t happen.

“I think the Hall of Fame Game is probably out,” Heyward predicted last Thursday. “We talk so much about safety, why would we want to expose two teams to an extra game a week early?”

Worst case scenario? This becomes one of those Rudy Gobert “Don’t you remember when?” moments.

“Don’t you remember when they canceled the Hall of Fame Game? That’s when I knew the virus was going to win.”

Best-case scenario? The Steelers are hoisting a seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy in February and we are all saying, “Don’t you remember when they canceled the Hall of Fame Game and we thought this would never happen?”

I know, I know. Reality probably lies somewhere in between. And if that reality means the NFL manages to scrape out some semblance of a season and the Steelers simply get back to the playoffs?

I’ll take it. I’ll take both.