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NFL releases 2017 schedule, features Patriots-Chiefs opener

Winslow Townson / USA TODAY Sports

The NFL released its 2017 schedule Thursday, finally giving teams and fans the chance to plan for the year ahead.

As was reported earlier in the day, the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will host the Kansas City Chiefs to kick things off in prime time on Sept. 7.

Related: 5 must-watch prime-time games on the 2017 NFL schedule

Among the many intriguing games now officially booked is a Super Bowl rematch set for Week 7, when the Atlanta Falcons will look to get revenge on the Patriots in Foxboro.

Thanksgiving Day once again includes three games, with the Detroit Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Washington Redskins hosting the New York Giants in the nightcap.

With Christmas Eve falling on a Sunday, fans will have a full slate of action to ring in the holiday season. There are also a pair of prime-time matchups on Christmas Day, as the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Houston Texans in a late-afternoon tilt before the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles go head to head under the lights.

The final day of the regular season is set for New Year's Eve, when all 16 matchups are tentatively scheduled for either 1 p.m. ET or 4:25 p.m. ET kickoffs. As has been the case in years past, a finale with significant playoff implications will be flexed into the Sunday-night slot.

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