The Cardinals will host Dallas Christmas night in 2010. For a full schedule click here.
 
 
The Cardinals will spend Christmas night against the Cowboys.

That game, televised nationally on the NFL Network, is the highlight of the Cards' 2010 regular-season schedule, announced Tuesday.

"It'll be crazy, a wild atmosphere," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Dallas is a good team and you would hope that would have implications as far as playoffs.

"Just thinking about being on national TV on Christmas night, when you know there are a lot of families together and you know they are watching the game, it's an opportunity for us to show what we are capable of and what we had success doing last year."

The Cards also will play the rival 49ers on "Monday Night Football" for the fourth straight season, hosting San Francisco Nov. 29 at University of Phoenix Stadium and will close the regular season in San Francisco Jan. 2.

"I'm glad we changed – we've started the last four years with them, so now we're just going to flip it and close with them," Whisenhunt said. "It's good we are closing with a division game. You'd like to think there will be a lot on the line."

The regular season opens with two road games, at St. Louis Sept. 12 and at Atlanta a week later. The home opener is Sept. 26 against Oakland, with a road trip following on Oct. 3 to San Diego.

"The first thing that jumps out at you is three of the first four are on the road," Whisenhunt said. "We'll find out early if we learned anything from being a better road team last year."

The Cardinals had the franchise's most wins on the road last season – six – since they last did it in 1963.

"I specifically remember in 2008 talking specifically about how important it was to start well," Whisenhunt said of the last time the Cards had three of their first four on the road. "Hopefully we can have the same success … with how that whole season went for us."

The defending Super Bowl champion Saints visit Oct. 10, and then the Cards will have their bye week.

Four of the Cards' last six games are at home, including the Christmas game.

"You'd like to think those games will mean something coming down the stretch and having those at home with our fans is something to get excited about," Whisenhunt said.

The first chance to see the Seahawks under new coach Pete Carroll comes Oct. 24 in Seattle, followed by a home game against Tampa Bay. Then comes a trip Nov. 7 to Minnesota, a home game against the Seahawks, and a visit to Kansas City Nov. 21 against former offensive coordinator Todd Haley's team before the season's finishing kick.

After the Monday night game, the Cards have home games against the Rams and Broncos before visiting Carolina.

PRESEASON DATES ANNOUNCED

While the preseason schedule was all but set, those dates were also firmed up. The Cardinals already knew they had a "Monday Night Football" appearance Aug. 23 in Tennessee. They will open Aug. 14 at University of Phoenix Stadium against Houston (with a 5 p.m. kickoff), play Aug. 28 in Chicago, and close at home Sept. 2 against Washington.