Hall-Of-Fame GAME DAY: Cowboys vs. Steelers Preview

The Cowboys and the Steelers will both be without major players, including quarterback Dak Prescott and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Are you ready for some NFL football? Preseason football officially returns tonight with two of the most storied franchises in the league facing off, as it's the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall-Of-Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

Not only is it the first preseason game since 2019 (due to the COVID-19 induced cancellation of the 2020 NFL preseason slate), it is the start of pivotal seasons for both teams. 

Dallas coach Mike McCarthy got his first full (not on Zoom meetings) offseason with the Cowboys as he looks to live up to ever-present Cowboys expectations. Dallas is looking for its first winning season and playoff berth since 2018.

The game will be more about the evaluation of younger prospects, as the Cowboys and the Steelers will both be without major players, including quarterback Dak Prescott and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Prescott, the favorite to win NFL Comeback Player Of The Year, will have to wait a little longer to start his comeback story. Missing the game vs. the Steelers was already in the plan but Prescott has been limited to non-throwing drills the past week because of a strained shoulder muscle. The Cowboys do fully expect Prescott to play in at least one of the remaining exhibition games.

His shoulder strain gives them an additional reason for what head coach Mike McCarthy on Tuesday at training camp in Oxnard labeled a "step-back'' in the direction of "caution.''

There are 16 Cowboys in total not making the trip to Canton, including players who are either returning from an offseason injury or have been dealing with an injury in training camp. The full list includes eight projected starters.

It's a good chance to see the depth chart behind Prescott. Quarterbacks Ben DiNucci, Cooper Rush and Garrett Gilbert (who has the inside track on the No. 2 job) will get the snaps in Canton. While Gilbert has the most experience of the three, the Cowboys have not named a No. 2 quarterback behind Prescott. For the Steelers, Mason Rudolph appears the be the backup. 

Dallas fans will also get to watch first-round pick Micah Parsons in his first Cowboys action. Did the Cowboys draft a defensive monster set to make an immediate impact on the Cowboys' 2021 reconstructed defense? As the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, Parsons has made an impressive debut with the Cowboys during training camp and already is staking his claim to the starting spot at middle linebacker.

Another reason to watch: The weekend ceremonies. Former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson and former players Cliff Harris and Drew Pearson will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

FUN FACT: DiNucci went to high school near Pittsburgh and played two years at Pitt before transferring to James Madison. His family was Steelers season-ticket holders and he grew up rooting for franchise legends like Ben Roethlisberger.

RECORDS: Dallas Cowboys (0-0) and Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0)

ODDS: The Cowboys opened as 1.5 point underdogs on FanDuel. The over/under is 32.5 total points.

GAME TIME: 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, August 5, 2021

LOCATION: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium — Canton, OH

TV/RADIO: FOX, 105.3 The Fan

THE FINAL WORD: McCarthy on sidelining Prescott for part of preseason play:

“Really, we’re just protecting Dak from himself. He just always wants to be at the forefront of everything, and it’s a big part of his leadership style and his personality,'' McCarthy on SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio. "But yeah, we’re just being smart with this injury.”