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IRVING – During his time as Cowboys coach, Bill Parcells was the team's biggest drawing card.

With Parcells in retirement, the Cowboys' cache remains, with the team playing a franchise-record seven games on national television in 2007.

Last season, the Cowboys played in the highest rated games on Fox, CBS, ESPN, NBC and NFL Network, and the networks hope to cash in again in 2007, starting with their Sept. 9 opener against the New York Giants on NBC at Texas Stadium.

.The other nationally televised games will be Sept. 23 at Chicago (NBC), Oct. 8 at Buffalo (ESPN), Nov. 4 at Philadelphia (NBC), against the New York Jets on Thanksgiving (CBS), Nov. 29 against Green Bay (NFL Network) and Dec. 22 at Carolina (NFL Network).

Depending on the team's success, it's possible another game could be switched to a national audience with the flexible schedule option.

"The national television games only add to the anticipation that we have for the upcoming season," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said in a statement. "We've never had this many national games before. It is an honor to be considered for that type of exposure, and it reinforces our desire to get the job done on the field."

After opening the season against one of their NFC East foes, the Cowboys will not play a division opponent until a Nov. 4 trip to Philadelphia that kicks off a three-game stretch against the Eagles, Giants and Washington.

Last year, Cowboys fans got their first live look at Indianapolis' Peyton Manning. This year, another of the top AFC quarterbacks will come to town for the first time in New England's Tom Brady (Oct. 14).

Another scheduling quirk has the Cowboys playing their first post-Thanksgiving Thursday night home game when Brett Favre and Green Bay visit Texas Stadium. The Cowboys host the Jets on Thanksgiving, followed by the Packers on Nov. 29.

In order to make the playoffs in Wade Phillips' first season, the Cowboys will have a tough closing stretch, with three of their final four games on the road. Last year, the Cowboys had three of their final four games at Texas Stadium and lost all three home games to sputter into the playoffs.

This season, the stretch begins Dec. 9 at Detroit and ends with games at Carolina (Dec. 22) and at Washington (Dec. 30). The lone home game is against Philadelphia (Dec. 16).

There is this bit of good news: In his prior head coaching stops in Denver and Buffalo, Phillips' teams made the playoffs in his first season.

NFC East stretch: Bill Parcells used to say the season started after Thanksgiving. That may not be the case this year. The Cowboys play three straight division opponents to start November, with road games against Philadelphia and the New York Giants followed by Washington's visit to Texas Stadium.

Night moves: The Cowboys have six night games with the chance for more with the flexible scheduling for post-Thanksgiving games. Last season, the Cowboys were part of the highest-rated games on Fox, CBS, ESPN and NFL Network.

Saying goodbye: This may be Brett Favre's final trip to Texas Stadium, and when the Packers come to Irving on Nov. 29, he should be the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes. He enters the season six behind Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

Not so cold: With games at Chicago and Buffalo, the Cowboys could have faced some difficult late-season weather. With a Sept. 23 visit to Soldier Field for the Bears and an Oct. 8 trip to Buffalo, the temperatures should be pretty good (insert global warming joke here). The coldest game figures to be the Dec. 30 finale at Washington.

Todd Archer