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As the 2022 NFL Schedule has been released, we can start picking our favorite games to look forward to. We can predict what narratives might be surrounding a particular game and whether there will be any playoff implications further into the season. The NFL Schedule release certainly hasn't disappointed, with mouth-watering matchups all over the show.
Here are the Top 10 games of the season to note down in your calendars.
#10 - Rams @ Chargers, Week 17
This Week 17 matchup will likely have playoff implications as the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams have two very talented rosters.
Although the Rams are slated to be the road team, the two franchises share the SoFi Stadium, so it is very much going to be two teams playing in a familiar setting. Rams head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford have nothing to prove. They won the Super Bowl last year in their first season together and seem to be an unstoppable force.
Whereas the Chargers have everything to prove. They have a talented, young quarterback in Justin Herbert who has looked extremely accomplished in his two years in the NFL.
In what was already a stacked defense, they have added Khalil Mack, who will play opposite Joey Bosa and will surely wreak havoc on defenses throughout the NFL. For all the promise the Chargers have shown, they need to take that next step and prove they can perform in the playoffs when it matters.
#9 - Browns @ Texans, Week 13
In what could be an interesting spectacle, the Cleveland Browns' trip to NRG Stadium in Houston to face the Texans is on the list for one reason: quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Watson, who was traded by the Texans to the Browns in March, faces civil lawsuits and potential discipline from the NFL under their personal conduct policy. He sat out the entire 2021 season due to these lawsuits as well as asking for a trade from the team. If he takes to the field in Week 13 in front of his former fans, it could prove to be a fascinating watch.
#8 - Cowboys @ Packers, Week 10
After leaving the Green Bay Packers in 2018, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will return to Lambeau Field for the first time. It's fair to say that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and McCarthy had issues during their relationship in Green Bay that stemmed back to the 2005 NFL Draft.
McCarthy was the offensive coordinator in San Francisco when they selected Alex Smith as the first overall pick ahead of Rodgers and it seems those issues between the two never went away. What is always an appealing encounter between the Cowboys and Packers is even more watchable as the former headcoach-quarterback tandem both look to get one over on the other in Week 10.
#7 - Rams @ Bucs, Week 9
The Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set for a rematch of their NFC Divisional Round matchup last season, where the Rams edged the Buccaneers in a thriller. A last-second field goal from Matt Gay gave the Rams a 30-27 victory in what appeared to be Tom Brady's final NFL game.
The G.O.A.T is back for the 2022 season after various off-season retirement rumors and will be looking to win his eighth Super Bowl ring and second with Tampa Bay. If we get just an ounce of last year's post-season matchup, we'll be in for a treat.
#6 - Bills @ Rams, Week 1
This is a spectacular choice for an opening game and the NFL schedulers deserve all the credit. As is tradition, the defending Super Bowl champions will kick off the new season with a home game.
The Los Angeles Rams will welcome the Buffalo Bills to the incredible SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on opening night. Matthew Stafford will begin his second season in Los Angeles in what could easily be one of the classic NFL Kickoff Games.
Josh Allen and the Bills will be no pushovers, as they are the current favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl in February 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. Von Miller is a familiar face for the Rams after helping them win the Super Bowl last season and he will be on show on September 8, though he will be in a Bills uniform. He signed a six-year, $120 million contract during the off-season.
#5 - Broncos @ Seahawks, Week 1
It's as though the NFL schedulers have done this on purpose. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who was traded in the off-season to the Denver Broncos, returns to Seattle in Week 1.
Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2014, will play his first game for Denver against the team who gave him his opportunity in the NFL when they drafted him with the 75th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
If the matchup needs anything extra added to it, it will also be the ESPN debut of broadcasting duo Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who signed five-year deals in the off-season.
#4 - Chiefs @ Bengals, Week 13
Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs have unfinished business when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals. In last season's AFC Championship game, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to a 27-24 overtime victory that sent shockwaves around the NFL. If the Chiefs want to avenge last season's playoff defeat, they will need to be at their best on the road in Cincinnati.
#3 - Packers @ Bucs, Week 3
We need to cherish these moments in the NFL. It wasn't certain that Tom Brady would ever play in the league again after temporarily retiring during the off-season.
Aaron Rodgers has had issues that have asked questions about his future in Green Bay. However, solutions were found, and in Week 3, we will get to see two of the best quarterbacks in history battle it out in what could be the last meeting between the two.
Both will have playoff aspirations and may meet in the NFC Championship Game, but let's enjoy these two while they are still in the NFL.
#2 - Chiefs @ Bucs, Week 4
It's a Super Bowl LV rematch. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs didn't give a good account of themselves in that game and that was down to Todd Bowles' defensive masterclass more than anything.
Bowles is now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and it will be intriguing to see how Andy Reid and the Chiefs approach this game. After a 40-day retirement, Tom Brady will be back under center in his 23rd season in the league and this is another must-see NFL game.
#1 - Bills @ Chiefs, Week 6
Without a doubt, this is the most intriguing and exciting matchup in the entire 2022 NFL Schedule. It is becoming one of the best rivalries in the league. When Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen meet, there are fireworks.
It becomes an even more must-see game if you add in what happened in the AFC Divisional Round last season, which was simply bonkers. Allen couldn't have played better in his team's 42-36 defeat in the playoffs, and there's no doubt he wants to put the record straight when they meet in this colossal clash in Week 6.
