12 Must Watch Games on the 2022 NFL Schedule
The NFL schedule was finally released last Thursday, and it felt like the first day of the new season. Teams and fans learned about their 17-week schedules and how the season would pan out.
There are always big games spread across the 18-week slate, and here are 12 that you cannot miss.
WEEK 1 (12/9) – Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson’s first game, not for the Seahawks, takes place in Seattle. Having asked for a trade away this offseason, the Denver Broncos struck a deal to bring the quarterback to Colorado.
Now, the NFL schedule-makers haven’t hesitated to send Wilson back to Seattle with his new team. Under the bright lights of Monday Night Football, Wilson’s reunion with Pete Carroll, his ex-teammates, and the 12s will be an emotional occasion.
It is the first time a quarterback who won over 100 games with a team has gone back to face them the following season.
And with a re-tooled Seahawks side clashing with a Broncos team packed with talent under new head coach Nathaniel Hackett.
How the Broncos start in a hostile atmosphere should provide clues about how they’ll do over the season.
WEEK 2 (15/9) – Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
The first meeting between these divisional rivals will set the early tone in the AFC West.
With four teams all eyeing a divisional title, the inter-divisional matches will go a long way to deciding the fate of the AFC West.
Quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes should provide early fireworks in a duel featuring two of the most talented teams in the NFL.
WEEK 3 (18/9) – Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Any game between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers is special.
This early matchup between two favorites to usurp the Rams in the NFC is a significant examination for new Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and his remodelled squad.
The Packers have won 13 games for three consecutive seasons. Big road victories will be vital to earning a bye in the playoffs.
WEEK 4 (3/10) – Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers
A repeat of the NFC Championship game of 2021, these fierce rivals met three times in 2021, with the 49ers winning twice.
However, they lost the biggest game of the three to the Rams in the playoffs as LA clambered from a 10-point deficit to punch their Super Bowl ticket.
The Rams’ offseason has followed a familiar script, as they have signed superstars Allan Robinson and Bobby Wagner.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are due to enter a new era with quarterback Trey Lance and questions surrounding the future of Deebo Samuel.
Kyle Shanahan has a positive record over Sean McVay, and an early win over the reigning Super Bowl champions would ignite the NFC West divisional race.
WEEK 5 (9/10) Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
The reigning AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals’ clash with the Baltimore Ravens is another game featuring two superstar quarterbacks. Joe Burrow is an MVP in-waiting, while Lamar Jackson is already a bonafide star.
The Bengals routed the injury-hit Ravens twice last season. But the Ravens will want revenge with a new defense core featuring Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton.
John Harbaugh’s team do not have two bad seasons in a row. A massive win over the Bengals would bring them back into the AFC North picture.
The Bengals will want to double down on their newfound success and keep their divisional bullies down on the floor. AFC North football is bruising, and this game will be a physical slugfest.
WEEK 10 (13/11) Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy returns to his old stomping ground of Lambeau Field in November when the Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers.
With Aaron Rodgers, the Packers hold a 7-3 record over the Cowboys, and this matchup between two historic clubs promises drama and intrigue.
WEEK 12 (27/11) Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs
The eagerly anticipated repeat of the epic Monday Night game in 2018, the Rams travel to Arrowhead Stadium in late November as champions.
It promises much, and the collection of elite offensive talent should thrill the NFL world. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Juju Smith-Schuster, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Allan Robinson could electrify this game.
WEEK 13 (5/12) New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This late-season clash may determine the destiny of the NFC South. Since Tom Brady’s arrival in the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints boast a 4-1 record over Brady’s Buccaneers.
The Saints’ defense has plenty of talent to cause Brady more problems, while Jameis Winston will want to get one over his old team. Can Brady and the Bucs offense figure out Dennis Allen’s defense?
WEEK 14 (18/12) Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
The Denver Broncos haven’t beaten the Kansas City Chiefs since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback. The Broncos haven’t made the playoffs since they triumphed at Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
If Russell Wilson and the Broncos wish to make the playoffs, that must change. Two high-powered offenses with two quarterbacks ready to sling it make this game can’t miss.
WEEK 15 (19/12) Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers
One of the last games before Christmas is a cracker as old rivals Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers square off in a game that might shape the NFC playoff path. Stafford and Rodgers playing in two of the best offenses in the NFL are a Christmas treat for an NFL fan. The winner could control the way to Super Bowl 57 in the NFC.
WEEK 16 (24/12) Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Christmas eve will surely see one of these teams gift themselves an NFC East title. A festive, cold Philadelphia will give way to a white-hot atmosphere as these historic rivals cross paths for the final time in 2022.
WEEK 17 (2/1) Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
The two best young quarterbacks in the NFL duel it out on the first Monday Night Football of the new year.
These two sides are major Super Bowl contenders with star playmakers. In front of a raucous Paul Brown Stadium, the destiny of the AFC may get settled when Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Trey Hendrickson, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Tre White all step onto the field in Ohio.
