The Houston Texans may not be America's Team quite yet, but they're getting closer — and getting showcased like never before.

The Tuesday national TV release of the 2012 NFL schedule has revealed that the Texans will be playing five national TV games, the maximum number allowed under the league's TV contracts. The Texans get the first two Sunday Night Football Games in franchise history (Oct. 14 at home vs. the Green Bay Packers and Nov. 11 at Chicago), a Thanksgiving Day matchup at Detroit (that CultureMap told you about first) and two Monday Night Football Games (at the New York Jets on Oct. 8 and Dec. 10 at the New England Patriots).

What a difference a year, a playoff breakthrough and an emerging superstar (tailback Arian Foster) makes.

Last season, the Texans did not play a single Sunday Night or Monday Night game. And almost every Texans game kicked off in the early noon Sunday window.

No more. These Texans have gone prime time.

Three dates are of particular significance. As CultureMap first wrote about back on Jan. 18, the Texans get a Thanksgiving showcase game against the Lions in Detroit on Nov. 22. They'll also get those two Sunday Night Games — the premiere TV window in football, the window they've never been deemed worthy of before. In fact, the Texans are the only franchise that hasn't played a Sunday Night Football game in its history.

That streak will end with one of the biggest games in Reliant Stadium history — a Sunday Night Showdown against the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers.

"You're getting some prime time football games," Texans coach Gary Kubiak says. "And the players have earned it."

The NFL schedule release has grown into such a big deal that two major sports networks — ESPN and the NFL Network — run competing three-hour shows around the event. It sounds sort of ridiculous at first blush. Until you consider just how popular Roger Goodell's league has become, just how ingrained it is as America's new pastime.

Making a run to the Super Bowl will be anything but easy with this schedule. The Texans face many of the top quarterbacks in the league — including Rodgers, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford and Manning — and likely the man who's expected to be the next great quarterback (the Houston area's own likely No. 1 pick Andrew Luck) twice.

"We can't get away from him," Kubiak jokes of Manning who the Texans play on the road in Denver in a Week Three matchup of AFC teams with legitimate Super Bowl hopes.

“I’m excited to go against all the good quarterbacks," Texans safety Glover Quin says "That’s one of the fun parts of the season, when you get the schedule, look and say, ‘Alright, we get to go against this guy, this guy, this guy, and we’ve got to go against this receiver and this running back.’ It’s fun. You want to play against the best guys in the league.

"With Brady and Rodgers and some of the other good quarterbacks we have on our schedule, it’s going to be fun. We’ve got a real good schedule in front of us this year and we’re excited for it.”

The full Houston Texans 2012 schedule:

Sept. 9 vs. Miami Dolphins, noon

Sept. 16 at Jacksonville Jaguars, noon

Sept. 23 at Denver Broncos, 3:15 p.m.

Sept. 30 vs. Tennessee Titans, noon

Oct. 8 at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 vs. Green Bay Packers, 7:20 p.m.

Oct. 21 vs. Baltimore Ravens, noon

Oct. 28 Bye Week

Nov. 4 vs. Buffalo Bills, noon

Nov. 11 at Chicago Bears, 7:20 p.m.

Nov. 18 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, noon

Nov. 22 at the Detroit Lions, 11:30 a.m.

Dec. 2 at Tennessee Titans, noon

Dec. 10 at New England Patriots, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 16 vs. Indianapolis Colts, noon

Dec. 23 vs. Minnesota Vikings, noon

Dec. 30 at Indianapolis Colts, noon