ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- With the draft a little more than a week away, football fans now have yet another thing to look forward to -- the 2011 schedule was released on Tuesday.
The Broncos' slate of games features a season-opening Monday Night Football matchup against a division rival, a trip to face off against the defending Super Bowl champions and a nationally-televised game on Thursday Night Football against the 2010 AFC runner-ups.
Before we get to the full schedule, here are a few notes on the 2011 slate:
- It will be the first time the Broncos have opened at home since the 2004 season, and the first time since 2001 that the season opener has been at home and on Monday Night Football.
- The team has not opened the season with two consecutive home games since the 1998 campaign.
- This marks the 20th consecutive season the Broncos have played on Monday Night Football, extending the longest active streak in the NFL. It is the second-longest such streak all-time.
- The schedule features five games against 2010 playoff teams, including three of the four clubs involved in the AFC and NFC championship games (GB, CHI, NYJ).
- This will be the 12th consecutive season the Broncos have played at least one of the previous season's two Super Bowl teams.
- Denver's regular-season opponents had a combined record of 133-123-0 (.520) in 2010.
You can find the preseason schedule here, along with the exact dates for each game and the scheduled kickoff time for two of them. Without further adieu, the Broncos' 2011 campaign is laid out below.
 | • DATE: Monday, September 12 • TIME: 8:15 p.m. MDT • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: ESPN (National) • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 8-8 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 41-58-2 |
 | • DATE: Sunday, September 18 • TIME: 2:15 p.m. MDT • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 4-12 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 17-8 |
| • DATE: Sunday, September 25 • TIME: 11 a.m. MDT • LOCATION: LP Field • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 6-10 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 14-20-1 |  |
| • DATE: Sunday, October 2 • TIME: 2:15 p.m. MDT • LOCATION: Lambeau Field • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 10-6 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 5-5-1 |  |
 | • DATE: Sunday, October 9 • TIME: 2:15 p.m. MDT • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 9-7 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 54-47-1 |
| • DATE: Sunday, October 23 • TIME: 11 a.m. MDT • LOCATION: Sun Life Stadium • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 7-9 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 3-11-1 |  |
 | • DATE: Sunday, October 30 • TIME: 2:05 p.m. MDT • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: FOX • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 6-10 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 6-4 |
| • DATE: Sunday, November 6 • TIME: 2:05 p.m. MST • LOCATION: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 8-8 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 41-58-2 | |
| • DATE: Sunday, November 13 • TIME: 11 a.m. MST • LOCATION: Arrowhead Stadium • TELEVISION: CBS* • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 10-6 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 46-55 |  |
 | • DATE: Thursday, November 17 • TIME: 6:20 p.m. MST • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: NFL Network (National) • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 11-5 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 16-15-1 |
| • DATE: Sunday, November 27 • TIME: 2:15 p.m. MST • LOCATION: Qualcomm Stadium • TELEVISION: CBS* • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 9-7 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 54-47-1 | |
| • DATE: Sunday, December 4 • TIME: 2:05 p.m. MST • LOCATION: Mall of America Field (Metrodome) • TELEVISION: CBS* • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 6-10 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 5-7 |  |
 | • DATE: Sunday, December 11 • TIME: 2:05 p.m. MST • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: FOX* • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 11-5 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 6-7 |
 | • DATE: Sunday, December 18 • TIME: 2:15 p.m. MST • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: CBS* • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 14-2 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 25-16 |
| • DATE: Saturday, December 24 • TIME: 11 a.m. MST • LOCATION: Ralph Wilson Stadium • TELEVISION: CBS • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 4-12 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 15-18-1 |  |
| • DATE: Sunday, January 1 • TIME: 2:15 p.m. MST • LOCATION: INVESCO Field at Mile High • TELEVISION: CBS* • OPP. 2010 RECORD: 10-6 • ALL-TIME VS. OPP.: 46-55 |
*All NFL games scheduled for Sundays from Weeks 10-15 and Week 17 are eligible to be moved to the Sunday night game, which is televised nationally by NBC.
