3 Things to watch for in Hall of Fame Game: Dallas Cowboys-Steelers

Not since the summer of 2019 has an NFL preseason game taking place. That hiatus concludes on Thursday night. Two of the most storied franchises in NFL chronicle will kick off the NFL preseason, as the Dallas Cowboys face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game at 8 p.m. ET from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio on FOX. Though there's still much of training camp and the preseason to play out, this will signify the start of pivotal seasons for the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin and the Cowboys and head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy's first season taking the Cowboys' reins was a forgettable one, as the loss of quarterback Dak Prescott and a porous defense were two keys to Dallas finishing 6-10. Thursday will mark the start of McCarthy's first full preseason with the 'Boys as he looks to begin the process of wrangling the franchise's first winning season and playoff berth since 2018. Tomlin's Steelers produced the franchise's finest start of all time when Pittsburgh went 11-0, but it floundered down the stretch of a 12-4 campaign and was one and done in the postseason after a stunning loss to the rival Cleveland Browns. With Ben Roethlisberger back for perhaps his last season, the Steelers might well be at the starting point of a pivotal year in club history.