Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The return of the NFL went down as a success at the Hall of Fame game—and that was only the beginning.

An exhibition between the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys served as a nice start to the lengthy August slate. The 20-18 win for the Cowboys doesn't mean much, and most results won't, but the preseason games manage to mean more than the scores tacked on to them for the sake of normalcy.

These games help craft the rosters set to take the field when the the games start mattering in September, creating some of the biggest drama the league sees all year while players fight for jobs and even spawning things such as Hard Knocks.

Let's glance at the big matchups of the preseason's first week.

NFL Preseason Week 1

Wednesday, Aug. 9 2017

Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers, 7:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

Thursday, Aug. 10

Denver Broncos vs. Chicago Bears, 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

Friday, Aug. 11

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

Saturday, Aug. 12

Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Rams, 9 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

Sunday, Aug. 13

Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts, 1:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL.com

Full schedule available at ESPN.com.

Steelers vs. Giants

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

A game featuring established quarterbacks such as Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger wouldn't normally seem like a major exhibition to watch.

Alas, those names won't suit up for long when the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers get together on Friday, and some of the finer details surrounding the rosters might decide whether those quarterbacks can go on to make noise during the season and into the playoffs.

The Steelers need to work out the depth chart in a few different places. With Le'Veon Bell holding out, most of the attention will go to third-round pick James Conner. Given the fact Bell missed four games a year ago, it will be a good chance to see whether the hype is justified around the rookie back, as noted by many, including NFL.com's Aditi Kinkhabwala:

For the Giants, the game becomes a stress test for depth after a scary-looking injury suffered by wideout Sterling Shepard in camp. The issue turned into nothing overly serious, according to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, but almost losing a wideout who posted 683 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie proved the importance of the depth chart behind someone like Odell Beckham Jr. and beyond.

With rookies like Conner and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster for Pittsburgh, as well as tight end Evan Engram for the Giants, this game will serve as an interesting showcase for normally defensive-minded teams trying to evolve offenses around aging signal-callers.

49ers vs. Chiefs

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

An encounter between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs might be a case of two teams at different stages of contention, but it still makes for an interesting affair.

If nothing else, the 49ers demand attention because of the rookie talent present on the defensive side of the ball after bringing in a haul on draft day, with the additions of edge presence Solomon Thomas and linebacker Reuben Foster.

Foster is especially interesting because he was shoved into the limelight earlier than the 49ers planned, as explained by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

Rookies getting tossed into the fire is one of the most interesting parts of the preseason, though, which is what makes the Chiefs so compelling.

On paper, Kansas City doesn't have any quarterback drama. But rookie Patrick Mahomes, selected 10th overall in this year's draft, could make some headlines with strong play against a rebuilding defense on Friday and force a conversation in the Chiefs don't necessarily want to have.

Most teams have their futures tied to rookies in dramatic fashion, but few have as much riding on first-year players over the next few years than these two, making it one of the opening week's must-see acts.

Cowboys vs. Rams

David Richard/Associated Press

The prospect of the Cowboys hitting the field once again doesn't sound like the most interesting thing in the world after watching Kellen Moore move through the paces of the 20-18 win in Canton, Ohio, on the back of one touchdown and interception.

Still, the Cowboys received encouraging performances from guys like Brice Butler (two catches, 78 yards) and Rod Smith (18 carries, 64 yards) while also getting veterans such as Alfred Morris some runs. The final score didn't end up mattering, but the experience gained certainly did.

"As a player, you learn so much more in game situations than in any other environment," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "There's nothing like putting on a uniform and going on a real football field and playing versus an opponent."

This same line of thought applies in a big way for the Los Angeles Rams, a team hoping to see more out of 2016 No. 1 pick Jared Goff, who only completed 54.6 percent of his passes with five touchdowns against seven interceptions over eight games as a rookie.

The Rams are another team that went the extra mile to surround a quarterback with talent over the offseason, adding rookies such as tight end Gerald Everett in the second round and wideout Cooper Kupp in the third. In front of a revamped offensive line, featuring free-agent add Andrew Whitworth at left tackle, this game marks the beginning of a do-over effort for the Rams.

Like the other games mentioned, this contest means much more in the context of a full preseason as the front offices whittle down their rosters to the best they can be.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.