Hall of Fame Game Primer: Dallas Cowboys (0-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)

Game: Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals
HOF Game Record: Cowboys, 0-3. Bengals 1-1
Series Leader: Cowboys 6-4
Streak: Cowboys, four of the past six
Coaches vs. Opponent: Phillips: 3-0. Lewis: 1-1
Broadcast: NBC (8:00 PM ET): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth & Andrea Kremer (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Howard David, James Lofton.
SB Nation: Blogging the Boys
NFL.com: Game Center
Weather: Mostly Sunny with a high of 85 and light winds [Weather.com]

CINCINNATI BENGALS

• This will be the Bengals third Hall of Fame game and first since 1988.
• Steelers defensive coordinator and Hall of FAme inductee Dick LeBeau spent 18 seasons with Cincinnati as a coach (1980-1991, 1997-2002).
• Carson Palmer enters this season as the franchise career leader with an 87.9 passer rating and a career 63.2% completion rate. Palmer recorded his fourth season with 3,000 yards passing and 20 touchdowns last year.
• Running back Cedric Benson recorded a career-high 1,251 yards rushing and tied a career high six rushing touchdowns in 2009.
• Benson recorded six 100-yard rushing games (a career high) during the regular season last year; the Bengals went 6-0.
• Chad Ochocinco recorded his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season and earned his sixth Pro Bowl.
• Terrell Owens ranks third all-time with career receiving yards (14,951) and touchdowns (144) and ranks sixth all-time with 1,006 receptions.
• Bengals defense ranked third in the AFC and 4th in the NFL allowing only 301.4 yards-per-game in 2009.
• Dhani Jones has led the Bengals in tackles for consecutive seasons (142 last year).
• Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph each recorded an interception (career high for both) and are the only AFC teammates to record six interceptions or more each.

DALLAS COWBOYS

• The Cowboys will be celebrating their 50th year anniversary this season.
• This will be Dallas' fourth Hall of Fame game, first since 1999.
• Quarterback Tony Romo passed for a franchise-record 4,483 yards passing in 2009, setting additional franchise marks in attempted passes (550) and completions (347).
• Cowboys are 27-5 when Romo starts and records a passer rating of 100 or better (including the playoffs).
• Running back Felix Jones has eight career touchdowns (seven rushing, one on kickoff return), averaging 47.1 yards per touchdown.
• Marion Barber's 38 rushing touchdowns since 2006 is the second most in the NFC.
• Miles Austin recorded a career high 81 receptions, 1,320 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl berth. Austin became just the third receiver to record 80+ receptions, 1,300+ yards receiving and ten touchdowns or more in a single season (Michael Irvin and Terrell Owens are the others).
• Austin also led the NFL with touchdown receptions of 20 yard or more and had 21 receptions of 20 yards or more -- most in the NFC.
• Jason Witten is only the second tight end in NFL history to record two seasons of 90 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving (Tony Gonzalez and Todd Christensen are the others).
• Dallas' offense included one 4,000-yard passer and two 1,000-yard receivers (Witten and Austin) for only the second time in team history.
• DeMarcus Ware has 45 quarterback sacks since 2007, most in the NFL.
• Cornerback Mike Jenkins led the Cowboys with five interceptions in 2009.

Weekend Notes:

Saturday night, seven players will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are:

G RUSS GRIMM (Washington 1981-1991) was selected to four Pro Bowls and helped the Redskins to four Super Bowls, including wins in Super Bowls XVII, XXII and XXVI. Grimm, a member of the offensive line that earned the nickname "The Hogs," was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s.

LB RICKEY JACKSON (New Orleans 1981-1993, San Francisco 1994-95), a second round pick by the Saints in 1981, finished his career with 128 sacks, including six seasons with at least 10. Jackson was named to the Pro Bowl six times and helped the Saints win their first division title in 1991.

CB DICK LE BEAU (Detroit 1959-1972) started 171 consecutive games – an NFL record at the position – and finished his career with 62 interceptions, the third-most in league history at the time of his retirement. He entered coaching following his playing career and currently serves as the defensive coordinator for Pittsburgh. The 2010 season marks his 38th year as a coach in the NFL.

RB FLOYD LITTLE (Denver 1967-1975) amassed more than 12,000 all-purpose yards and scored 54 touchdowns in his career. Little was named to two AFL All-Star Games and three Pro Bowls. He retired as the seventh-ranked rusher in NFL history with 6,323 yards.

DT JOHN RANDLE (Minnesota 1990-2000, Seattle 2001-03) recorded 137.5 sacks during his career, including eight consecutive seasons (1992-99) with at least 10. Randle was selected to seven Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s.

WR JERRY RICE (San Francisco 1985-2000, Oakland 2001-04, Seattle 2004) holds numerous NFL records, including most receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), total touchdowns (208), 1,000-yard receiving seasons (14) and combined net yards (23,546). Rice won three Super Bowls with the 49ers and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXIII. He was selected to 13 Pro Bowls and was named a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Teams of the 1980s and 1990s and the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team.

RB EMMITT SMITH (Dallas 1990-2002, Arizona 2003-04) is the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 18,355 yards. He holds numerous league marks, including most rushing touchdowns (164), 100-yard rushing games (78) and 1,000-yard rushing seasons (11). Smith won three Super Bowls with Dallas and was named the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII. He was selected to eight Pro Bowls, was named the 1993 NFL MVP by The Associated Press and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s.

The inductees will be presented by: