The NFL announced today its 2009 Kickoff Weekend primetime television schedule - including a Monday night "AFL 50th" doubleheader - and the Thanksgiving Day national TV tripleheader.

For the first time in 46 seasons and only the third time in club history, the Denver Broncos will host a Thanksgiving game when they play the New York Giants on Thursday, Nov. 26, at 6:20 p.m. MST at INVESCO Field at Mile High. The game will be televised on NFL Network.

A few notes on Denver's Thanksgiving game against the Giants:

* - The Broncos last played at home on Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, 1963, when they lost 26-10 to Oakland at Bears Stadium.

* - The Broncos will be making their 11th all-time appearance on Thanksgiving in 2009. The club is 3-7 all-time on Thanksgiving, posting an 0-2 mark at home and a 3-5 record on the road.

* - Denver is set to play on Thanksgiving for the third time in the last five seasons in 2009. The Broncos last played on Thanksgiving on Nov. 23, 2006, when Kansas City defeated them 19-10 at Arrowhead Stadium.

* - The Broncos' game against the Giants marks the fourth consecutive season that the club will make an appearance on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football. Denver is 1-2 all-time on the program.

* - Denver played in NFL Network's first-ever regular-season game broadcast on Nov. 23, 2006 (19-10 loss at Kansas City on Thanksgiving), and also appeared on the network's Thursday Night Football telecast in 2007 (31-13 loss at Houston on Dec. 13, 2007) and 2008 (34-30 win at Cleveland on Nov. 6, 2008).

* - With their Thanksgiving game against the Giants, the Broncos will play on a Thursday for the fifth consecutive season. They are 2-2 during that stretch and own a 4-9 all-time record on Thursdays (0-3 home / 4-6 road). Denver will host a Thursday game for the first time since Sept. 6, 1979, when it lost 13-9 to the Los Angeles Rams at Mile High Stadium.

BRONCOS ALL-TIME ON THANKSGIVING

(3-7 overall record / 0-2 home / 3-5 road)

at Kansas City 19, Denver 10, Nov. 23, 2006

Denver 24, at Dallas 21, Nov. 24, 2005 (OT)

Denver 26, at Dallas 24, Nov. 22, 2001

at Detroit 40, Denver 27, Nov. 22, 1990

at Detroit 17, Denver 14, Nov. 23, 1978

Denver 31, at Detroit 27, Nov. 28, 1974

at Kansas City 31, Denver 17, Nov. 27, 1969

at San Diego 24, Denver 20, Nov. 23, 1967

Oakland 26, at Denver 10, Nov. 28, 1963

New York Titans 46, at Denver 45, Nov. 22, 1962

In a tradition that began in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL Thursday night season kickoff the following year.  This September 10 at 8:30 PM ET on NBC, the Super Bowl XLIII champion Pittsburgh Steelers will host the AFC South champion Tennessee Titans, who had an NFL-best 13-3 record last season. 

The Sunday night primetime game (8:30 PM ET) on NBC will feature a division matchup as the Green Bay Packers host the Chicago Bears. Green Bay and Chicago have won seven of the past eight NFC North titles.

On Monday night, September 14, ESPN will host a Monday Night Football doubleheader that will be part of the NFL's celebration of the 50th anniversary season of the American Football League. The four clubs competing that night began playing in the inaugural 1960 AFL season.  The first game (7:00 PM ET) will send the Buffalo Bills to Foxboro to visit the New England Patriots, the decade's winningest team (102-42 since 2000).   The MNF nightcap (10:15 PM ET) will be an AFC West battle as the Oakland Raiders host the three-time defending AFC West champion San Diego Chargers. 

Continuing an innovation introduced in 2006, the NFL will serve up three nationally-televised games on Thanksgiving Day.

The early game (FOX, 12:30 PM ET) will be an NFC North meeting of the Green Bay Packers at the Detroit Lions.  The second game (CBS, 4:15 PM ET) features the Oakland Raiders visiting the Dallas Cowboys in the Raiders' first Thanksgiving game since 1970.

The Thanksgiving primetime game will be at 8:20 PM ET on NFL Network with the defending NFC East champion New York Giants visiting the Denver Broncos, marking the first Thanksgiving contest in Denver since 1963.

The announcement of the Kickoff Weekend and Thanksgiving games was made Monday by NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL at the NFL Annual Meeting in Dana Point, California.

The rest of the 2009 regular-season schedule will be completed and announced in April.

The 2009 Kickoff Weekend national primetime and Thanksgiving Day television games: