Carlos Monarrez, and Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions will host the the Minnesota Vikings on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive season, the Free Press learned on Thursday.

The Lions also will host the NFC-champion Falcons in Week 3 and will reportedly play a Monday Night game against the host New York Giants in Week 2 of the NFL season.

According to New York sports-talk radio station WFAN, the Lions will travel to New York for the game Sept. 18.

The Lions lost at the Giants in Week 15 last season, 17-6.

General manager Bob Quinn had his pre-draft news conference Thursday afternoon and denied a rumor the Lions will play in four Monday night games this season.

"I think you guys will be pleasantly surprised when you see it," he said,

Last season, the Lions had two primetime games in the regular season.

Detroit Lions 2017 schedule opens at home, has 3 primetime games

Paying Matthew Stafford top money could cripple Detroit Lions

Charles Rogers says pain pills, injuries ruined career, not marijuana

Contact Carlos Monarrez: cmonarrez@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @cmonarrez. Download our free Lions Xtra app on your Apple and Android devices.