The Texans will be featured in five primetime matchups during the 2016 regular season, two home and three on the road. Houston will also be nationally televised in back-to-back weeks (Weeks 6,7). The last time Houston had five primetime games during the regular season was in 2012, after earning its first AFC South title in franchise history.

"These primetime games show us a couple things: number one is that we've won in the last couple of years here and I think that's good," head coach Bill O'Brien said in an exclusive interview with Texans TV. "Playing on primetime is somewhat of a reward for winning. The other thing is, you see it as it relates to your players, as to how excited they're going to be for those games."

The NFL schedules its premiere matchups and players for primetime with the Texans appearing in two Monday night, one Sunday night, one Thursday night, and one Saturday night game during the 2016 regular season. Houston will host a Christmas Eve game in December in its Saturday night matchup. It's the team's third time in franchise history to play on Christmas Eve (2005, 2006).

"We were laughing: we're going to have to exchange presents in the locker room before we head out for the game," O'Brien said. "On that note, any time later in the year when you're playing around Christmas-time and it's a home game, I think it's great for the fans and I know our players are very excited for that game."

O'Brien led the Texans to another 9-7 finish and an AFC South title in his second year as head coach. J.J. Watt earned Associate Press Defensive Player of the Year honors for a second consecutive season, while wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and long snapper Jon Weeks were name to their first Pro Bowl. The Texans added quarterback Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller in March via free agency.

The Texans 2016 full list of primetime games are:

1. Week 3 at New England
   Date: Thursday, Sept. 22
   Kickoff: 7:25 p.m. CT
   TV: CBS/NFLN/Twitter

2. Week 6 Indianapolis Colts*
   Date: Sunday, Oct. 16
   Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT
   TV: NBC

3. Week 7 at Denver
   Date: Monday, Oct. 24
   Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT
   TV: ESPN

4. Week 11 at Oakland Raiders (Mexico City)
   Date: Monday, Nov. 21
   Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. CT
   TV: CBS

5.  Week 16 Cincinnati Bengals
Date: Saturday, Dec. 24
Kickoff: 7:25 p.m. CT
TV: NFLN

*Sunday night games in Weeks 5-15 are subject to change; Week 17 game TBD

*Twitter.com/DeepSlant*