The Dallas Cowboys have seen their 2024 season collapse, so it’s only fitting that their stadium follows suit. Below we take a look at what happened to the roof at AT&T Stadium before the team’s Week 11 Monday night matchup against the Houston Texans.
What Happened to the Roof at AT&T Stadium?
The Cowboys’ roof, which received an inordinate amount of attention for the sunlight streaming through in the Cowboys’ last home game, saw a large piece of metal fall when it was being opened roughly three hours before kickoff.
Because of the malfunction, the roof was subsequently closed again.
A piece of the AT&T Stadium roof fell when it was being opened 45 minutes ago. And now the roof has been closed https://t.co/yQRmwIfYaS
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) November 18, 2024
It’s possible that part of the reason for the issue stems from how rarely the Cowboys open their retractable stadium. Monday night was going to be the first game with the roof open in over two years. Their last home game with an open roof was in Oct. 2022 against the Chicago Bears.
The good news is that it doesn’t appear anyone was harmed during the incident. Moreover, the kickoff is not expected to be delayed as a consequence, as the Cowboys reversed course and closed the roof after all.
Team officials are saying the Cowboys-Texans will start on time.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) November 18, 2024
As reported by ESPN’s Lisa Salters, the team was able to secure another large piece of metal that didn’t physically fall to the field but was lodged on a catwalk high above the stadium. The extra debris was secured at the insistence of the NFL, which didn’t think it would be safe to play the game with the metal hanging on the catwalk.
https://t.co/nP7QJc3Wlz pic.twitter.com/Vvh1PFKjAE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 19, 2024
Unfortunately for Dallas, the roof collapse incident is poetic. The Cowboys enter their Week 11 matchup at 3-6 and on a four-game losing streak. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the season, leaving little hope for the Cowboys to make a miraculous second-half run.
It’s also fitting that the stadium fell apart because the same has happened to Dallas’ home-field advantage. After going 8-0 at home last regular season, the Cowboys have lost five straight by a cumulative score of 201-91 (or a minus-22.0 PPG differential).
Comically (or tragically, depending on one’s perspective), the Cowboys are the only franchise across the four primary North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) yet to win at home in the calendar year 2024.
This is amazing. And yes, the NYG beat PHi at MetLife last January, so this chart is accurate. pic.twitter.com/5gXeqmgx9e
— Craig Miller (@junior_miller) November 16, 2024
Dallas will try to avoid further humiliation against the AFC-South leading Texans. Much like their roof, the 2024 Cowboys have shown plenty of cracks and a serious need for repair.