CANTON, OHIO — The Pittsburgh Steelers followed a stumbling first half with a strong final 30 minutes to beat the Dallas Cowboys 16-3 on Thursday night in the first NFL preseason game in two years.
Matthew Sexton's 36-yard punt return early in the third quarter jump-started the Steelers, and the Cowboys never challenged after it.
Last season's exhibition games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So maybe the enthusiastic crowd was an indication that even for a match between teams using few regulars, the hunger for pro football has not faded.
Or maybe it was simply a matter of two of the league's most popular franchises being on the field in the Hall of Fame game, regardless of how many backups were in action.