Mike Tannenbaum discusses how far Dak Prescott could lead the Cowboys in this season's season. (0:58).It was announced Friday that the Dallas Cowboys will be the first NFL team featured on "Hard Knocks" for the 20th anniversary season.HBO and NFL Films announced Friday the launch of the five-episode season on Aug. 10, at 10 p.m. ET"America, America's Game and America's Team had a difficult 2020. "I feel like this is a perfect coincidence of football, Cowboys, and hopefully the country," stated Ken Rodgers, senior coordinating producer at NFL Films. "I am certain the Cowboys would rather forget about their tough season than anyone else."In 2002 and 2008, the Cowboys were featured in documentary series about training camps.In Mike McCarthy's first season as Dallas coach, Dallas finished 6-10 last year. Quarterback Dak Prescott was forced to miss 11 of the final 11 games after sustaining a fractured right ankle and a compound fracture.The storylines that will be most interesting are Prescott's recovery from injury and McCarthy's ability to rally his team behind him and his staff.Ezekiel Elliott, running back, and wide receivers Amari Cooper (Michael Gallup) are likely to be featured on the show. First-year coordinator Dan Quinn attempts to mould a defense team that includes defensive end DeMarcus Lauren and linebackers Jaylon and Micah Parsons. Parsons was selected in the first round of April's draft.This will be the first time the series airs an episode after a preseason match. In the Hall of Fame Game, the Cowboys will play the Steelers in Canton, Ohio on Aug. 5.For all those associated with NFL Films, the trip to Canton is also special because Steve Sabol was recently inducted posthumously into The Pro Football Hall of Fame.He was the father of Ed, the father of Ed, the Hall's third father-son pair. Ed was inducted in 2011. "Hard Knocks" is a Sabol invention and it remains as relevant today as when it began.Rodgers stated that Rodgers loved the show because it showed how our company and business could adapt and change. Many people had seen NFL Films because of what Rodgers had created in 1970s: slow motion, ball in air, wired to sound, and orchestral music style. "Hard Knocks" proved that we are more than any other filmmaking company in history. We're filmmakers who can adapt to any style and any format, on any network.This season will mark the 16th season of the series, which began in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens. The series will continue through 2024 thanks to an agreement between HBO and NFL Films. Last year, there were two teams in the series for the first-ever time. The Los Angeles Rams and Chargers shared equal billing.
