The Super Bowl champion New York Giants will host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium in the 2012 season-opening NFL Kickoff game on Wednesday, September 5 (NBC, 8:30 PM ET), the NFL announced today. NBC will televise the game at 8:30 PM ET and NFL Kickoff 2012 at 7:30 PM ET. Continuing a tradition that started in 2004, the previous year’s Super Bowl winner hosts the NFL Kickoff game to open the following season.
| DATE | SITE | RESULT (HOME TEAM IN CAPS) | RECAP |
| Sept. 9, 2004 | Gillette Stadium | NEW ENGLAND 27, Indianapolis 24 | New England quarterback Tom Brady passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns as the defending Super Bowl champions defeat the Colts. |
| Sept. 8, 2005 | Gillette Stadium | NEW ENGLAND 30, Oakland 20 | New England quarterback Tom Brady leads the offense by throwing for 306 yards and two touchdowns while running back Corey Dillon adds two scores for the defending Super Bowl champions. |
| Sept. 7, 2006 | Heinz Field | PITTSBURGH 28, Miami 17 | Pittsburgh quarterback Charlie Batch passes for three touchdowns and running back Willie Parker adds 115 yards as the defending Super Bowl champions defeat Miami. |
| Sept. 6, 2007 | RCA Dome | INDIANAPOLIS 41, New Orleans 10 | The Super Bowl champion Colts rack up 452 yards of offense as quarterback Peyton Manning passes for 288 yards and three TDs. |
| Sept. 4, 2008 | Giants Stadium | NY GIANTS 16, Washington 7 | Quarterback Eli Manning scores a touchdown and the Giants’ defense allows just 209 total yards as the defending Super Bowl champions defeat division-rival Washington. |
| Sept. 10, 2009 | Heinz Field | PITTSBURGH 13, Tennessee 10 (OT) | Pittsburgh’s Jeff Reed kicks a 33-yard game-winning field goal in overtime as the defending Super Bowl champions defeat Tennessee. |
| Sept. 9, 2010 | Louisiana Superdome | NEW ORLEANS 14, Minnesota 9 | New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees throws for 237 yards and a touchdown to lead the Saints past the Vikings in a rematch of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | Lambeau Field | GREEN BAY 42, New Orleans 34 | Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns and the Packers’ defense makes a goal-line stand on the game’s final play as the defending Super Bowl champions defeat the Saints. |