The 2022 season is still a long way away, but with the schedule now officially released, it’s hard not to look ahead and get excited by some of the potential matchups this fall. The Los Angeles Rams open their Super Bowl defense against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on Thursday Sept. 8, while every week features some intriguing gridiron battles.
Week 1: Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams
What a way to kick off the 2021 NFL season on Thursday night primetime. The reigning Super Bowl Champion Rams vs the pre-season favourites to win Super Bowl 57, the Bills. There aren’t many better matchups to start the season.
It’s an early audition for the Bills to see how they stack up against top competition, while it’s an opportunity for the Rams to start their Super Bowl defense off with a bang. Ultimately, this could be more of a feeling out process, and both coaches might elect to keep their cards close to their chest in terms of play calling. But there’s just too much talent on both teams for this not to be a barnstormer.
Matchups like Cooper Kupp vs Tre’Davious White, Stefon Diggs vs Jalen Ramsey, and Aaron Donald hunting down Josh Allen really stick out. But there’s also the caveat of Von Miller returning to SoFi Stadium after signing with the Bills in the offseason. Miller’s performance in the playoffs was one of the driving forces behind the Rams’ Super Bowl success, but now he’s on the hunt for a third ring with a third team.
A win doesn’t change the fact that the Bills were 13 seconds away from a huge opportunity in 2021, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Having a potential Super Bowl matchup in Week 1, what more could you want?
Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A rematch of Super Bowl 55. Tom Brady versus Patrick Mahomes. The G.O.A.T versus the best quarterback in the NFL right now. For a while, it felt like the Chiefs and the Buccaneers were destined to collide in Super Bowl 56, but both teams were eliminated sooner than they wanted – the Buccaneers losing to the Rams in the Divisional Round, and the Chiefs collapsing against the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game.
Both teams, predictably, had high-profile offseasons. The Buccaneers got things started with Brady calling time on the greatest career in NFL history to much fanfare…only to unretire just a few short weeks later. Clearly, there’s unfinished business for Brady, who will be looking to win his eighth Super Bowl ring in 2022 – his second with the Bucs. However, a recently announced deal with Fox Sports as their lead NFL analyst once he retires suddenly puts a countdown timer on his career.
That’s what makes this matchup even more appealing. Brady’s and Mahomes’ duels are fairly new to the NFL landscape, but the two have met numerous times in recent years, sharing the spoils with two wins apiece. This could well be the last time the two ever face off – unless, of course, they meet once more in the Super Bowl.
Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs
Yeah, this one sells itself. The last time these two teams met was back in the AFC Divisional Round in January. The result was, arguably, one of the greatest playoff games of all-time with one of the craziest endings of all-time. The stars of the show will be Mahomes and Josh Allen, the two quarterbacks set to carry the NFL into its new era as the faces of the league.
The two combined for 707 passing yards and 6 touchdowns in the 42-36 victory for the Chiefs in the last meeting, and there’s every chance that this game is just as high-scoring. The Chiefs have led the NFL in EPA since Mahomes stepped in as the teams starter in 2018, per RBSDM. While the Bills offense with Allen has taken a little longer to become more functional, they’ve been fourth in EPA over the last two years. This is a matchup between two juggernauts.
However, both teams will look different. Wholesale changes have been made to the Chiefs offense – most notably with Tyreek Hill being traded to the Miami Dolphins. In his stead are new free agent additions Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, as well as second round pick Skyy Moore. Their contributions will be pivotal to the Chiefs offense.
Kansas City still has Kelce and Mahomes and, as long as they have both their superstars, the offense will function comfortably. If it’s Mahomes versus Allen, it’s likely to be one of the most anticipated games of the season, and for good reason.
Week 15: Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals
There’s a lot of Bills here. That might not please everyone, but as one of the Super Bowl favourites and all-around best rosters in the league, they’ll be fun to watch. And a Week 17 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals that could go a long way towards deciding who gets the top seed in the AFC is another tantalising matchup.
The Bengals front office didn’t rest on their laurels this offseason. They knew that the Bengals caught some lucky breaks on their way to the Super Bowl, and they knew why they lost against the Rams. The Bengals improved their offensive line, their greatest weakness, and as a result, might just be a better team than the one that went to the Super Bowl a season ago.
It’s also the first time that Joe Burrow and Josh Allen will face off in the NFL. Both quarterbacks are among the best in the league, along with Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Lamar Jackson, and will be dominating the NFL for the foreseeable future. Any matchup that features two elite quarterbacks is a must-watch. But we’ll also get to see Ja’Marr Chase and the rest of the Bengals wide receivers versus the Bills elite secondary and how the Bengals offensive line will hold up against an elite defense.
Another matchup that could well be a potential AFC Championship Game.
Week 17: Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers
The city of Los Angeles might not be entirely sold on the Rams or the Chargers as their hometown teams, but this is still the battle of LA. The Rams are the reigning Super Bowl champions, a title they won in their own backyard, but their stadium neighbours are much improved and might have one of the best all-round rosters in the NFL, led by Justin Herbert.
After a 9-8 finish where they missed out on the playoffs in the final game week of the season, the Chargers are for real. And, once Week 17 rolls around, there’s every chance they could be vying for the top seed in the AFC. They’ll have to overcome the Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders to do it. But there’s enough talent on the roster to make it happen, they just need to put all the pieces together. The Chargers haven’t made the playoffs since 2019, and this season – despite playing in a strong division – is their best chance to do so. This game could be the one that puts them into the postseason.
For the Rams, this will hopefully be a similar position. They’ll be vying for the number one seed in the NFC, and the amount of star talent on display should make this a game worthy of the Hollywood treatment. The bragging rights currently belong to the Rams, but the Chargers have a chance to steal some of their thunder.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @ThomasValenfine