The Dallas Cowboys will host the Oakland Raiders in the first Thanksgiving Day game at Jerry Jones' $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington, the NFL announced Monday.
Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m., with CBS airing the action. One of the expected story lines will be the reunion of the Cowboys' Felix Jones and the Raiders' Darren McFadden, a record-setting duo while sharing carries at Arkansas from 2005-2007.
The Thanksgiving Day lineup also features the Green Bay Packers at the Detroit Lions (11:30 p.m. Fox) and the defending NFC East champion New York Giants at the Denver Broncos (7:20 p.m. NFL Network).
The NFL also announced its national primetime schedule for the first week of the season. Dallas isn't included, which means it will likely make its regular-season debut in Arlington with a primetime game in Week 2.
Team vice president Stephen Jones said he's confident the Cowboys will get plenty of primetime games this season. Last year, Dallas played in prime time five times.
"Our time will come," Jones told reporters at the NFL owners' meetings in Dana Point, Calif. "We usually get our fair share."
The season gets under way Thursday Sept. 10 at Heinz Field, where the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers will host the defending AFC South champion Tennessee Titans (7:30 p.m. NBC).
The national primetime games for opening weekend feature the Chicago Bears at the Packers on Sunday, Sept. 13 (7:30 p.m. NBC) and the Monday night doubleheader featuring the Terrell Owens-led Buffalo Bills at the New England Patriots (6 p.m. ESPN) and the defending AFC West champion San Diego Chargers at the Raiders (9:15 p.m. ESPN).
The NFL is expected to release its entire schedule next month.
With the Texas Rangers playing home games in Arlington on the first three Sundays of the NFL season, the Cowboys could wind up playing at least two of their first three games on the road to avoid traffic pileups.
The Raiders hold a 6-3 lead in their series with the Cowboys. Oakland has won the last three meetings (13-12 in 1998 at Irving, 28-21 in 2001 at Oakland and 19-13 in 2005 at Oakland).
Also Monday, the league awarded Dallas two compensatory draft picks: one each in the fifth and sixth rounds. The Cowboys now have a total of 11 picks.
