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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys had planned to open the AT&T Stadium roof ahead of Monday night’s 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans, but the plan was scrapped because a piece of metal fell to the field as the roof was opening more than two hours before kickoff.
“We can confirm a piece of metal came loose and fell to the field [with some additional small debris] while the roof was in the process of opening,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “There were no injuries. It is being reviewed further, and a decision regarding the ability to re-open the roof safely will be made when possible.”
The Cowboys attributed high winds during the day Monday to contributing to the piece of metal falling and that the roof would remain closed for Monday night’s contest.
After the game, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the debris that fell will not impact the ability to open the roof for any of the remaining home games.
“Certainly, there was no risk at all to anybody on the field playing once we shut the roof and again,” Jones said. “Got a lot of wind gusts in this area this afternoon, and apparently that created some looseness up there. And then when the wind, when we did try to open it up, the wind got in there and exacerbated the looseness.”
Before the game, workers bolted a remaining piece of loose metal to the frame to prevent it from falling.
“They wouldn’t have started this game had there been any risk at all,” Jones said. “And not only the NFL wouldn’t, but I wouldn’t if there’s any risk at all. And there was no risk at all when they started the game.”
Jones noted that the roof was opened long before any fans were in the stadium, adding, “The reason they do that is to make sure everything is working to avoid those kinds of risks if there’s any fans or anybody in here.”
The roof has not been open for a Cowboys game in the past two years. During last week’s home game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the team intended to have the doors open for the game, but they would not open completely.
AT&T Stadium opened in 2009. The Cowboys are 2-5 all time with the roof open and the retractable end zone doors closed.
The last time the Cowboys opened the roof was Oct. 30, 2022, against the Chicago Bears, whom they beat 49-29. The roof and the doors were open that day.
The Cowboys have now lost their first five home games this season, the first time that has happened since 1989, when they finished 1-15 in Jones’ first year as owner and general manager.
Source: www.espn.com