National Football League

Hall of Fame Game: Top moments from Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Updated Aug. 5, 2021 11:03 p.m. ET

The NFL is officially back!

The Dak Prescott-less Dallas Cowboys took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Thursday night’s highly anticipated NFL Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.

And when it was all said and done, the Steelers came out victorious 16-3 in the first preseason game of the NFL season.

Here are the top moments from Thursday's action:

Before the game kicked off, there was a special tribute to both the 2020 and 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame classes that will be enshrined in Canton this weekend.

The classes are headlined by legendary coaches Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher, as well as players such as Peyton Manning, Charles Woodson, John Lynch, Troy Polamalu and Calvin Johnson amongst other legends.

And, of course, the NFL on FOX crew featured a few Hall of Famers themselves, sporting their gold jackets in light of the ceremony.

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While preseason games usually aren't showcases for starters, all eyes were on Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris in his first professional action since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft in April.

And his first carry didn't disappoint, producing a first down.

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Harris isn't the only player part of the Steelers youth movement either, with second-year wide receiver Chase Claypool moving the sticks as well on the Steelers opening drive.

But the positive momentum produced by Harris and Claypool came to an abrupt end for the Steelers after a fumble by quarterback Mason Rudolph was recovered by the Cowboys.

Already holding a 3-0 lead, the Cowboys were looking to add another field goal to the scoreboard but their attempt at more points was blocked by the Steelers defense.

While he wasn't on the field for the game, Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott was on the sidelines with his team and spoke with Erin Andrews about his weight loss this offseason.

Points were hard to come by in the first half for both teams but Claypool still used his time on the field to show why he is one of the most exciting young receivers in the NFL.

He extended for this 45-yard reception but was shaken up after the catch and had to exit the game.

A few of the Hall of Fame inductees for Saturday and Sunday night made appearances as well, with Bill Cowher stalking the Steelers sidelines and Peyton Manning stopping by the commentary booth with Joe Bucks and Troy Aikman.

If there was a common theme from the first half, it was fumbles.

The Steelers lost a fumble on their opening drive and the Cowboys fumbled twice themselves, with the second one being recovered by the Steelers defense.

It took a half, but we finally got our first touchdown of the NFL preseason, courtesy of the Steelers.

The Cowboys' offensive struggles continued to start the second half, turning the ball over for the second time on the night.

This time it was an interception.

The Steelers added another touchdown in the fourth quarter for good measure to extend their lead to 16-3.

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