The 6 biggest games on the Rams' 2022 schedule

[theramswire.usatoday.com] The 6 biggest games on the Rams' 2022 schedule

Skyler Carlin
May 12, 2022 6:12 pm PT

The grand reveal (it really isn’t that grand) of the 2022 NFL schedule took place on Thursday, letting us know when certain teams will play each other. We’ve known who the Los Angeles Rams were going to face in 2022 for months, but now we know which weeks they’ll square off against certain opponents.

Ahead of the upcoming season, it was already decided that the Rams would play against the NFC South and the AFC West. Drawing the AFC West as the division to face should certainly set us up for some exciting games next season.

With the schedule for each team across the NFL now out, what are the six biggest games the Rams will take part in?

Week 1 vs. Buffalo Bills
It has been confirmed that the Rams will host the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium to kickoff the 2022 campaign on Thursday Night Football. For those that like to partake in sports betting, the over is unquestionably going to be in danger of hitting in this contest.

Josh Allen was a coin flip away from advancing to the AFC Championship against the Cincinnati Bengals just last season and they signed Von Miller after he won a Super Bowl with Los Angeles. Buffalo possesses one of the most well-balanced rosters in the NFL and they’ll have Tre’Davious White back from an injury.

Get your popcorn ready to watch Allen and Matthew Stafford duel on national television to get the 2022 season kickstarted.


Week 16 vs. Denver Broncos
One game ahead of the dramatic schedule release that we already knew about was the showdown between the Denver Broncos and the Rams on Christmas Day. The Broncos acquired a familiar foe in Russell Wilson, launching them into contender status in the AFC.

Wilson will have to face No. 99 on the Rams again and he’ll look across the line of scrimmage to see Bobby Wagner in horns now. The veteran signal-caller for the Broncos has plenty of weapons at his disposal and Denver has a defense that is loaded with Pro Bowl-caliber players.

It should be a must-watch game when Wilson and Matthew Stafford square off while everyone is preparing to eat Christmas dinner — or lunch — with their families.

Week 9 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady spent a few weeks in retirement and decided that the regular life wasn’t for him. When the Rams travel to take on Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he’ll be 45 years old, but he remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

It will also be a rematch of last season’s NFC divisional game in which Los Angeles won 30-27 on a game-winning field goal from Matt Gay. The Rams have beat Brady three times since he joined the Buccaneers in 2020, including last year’s playoff bout.

With retirement being a possibility for Brady — and a $375 million TV deal waiting for him — every time the Rams face the future Hall of Famer, it could be the last time they’ll get an opportunity to face him.


Week 15 at Green Bay Packers
The Packers no longer have Davante Adams for Aaron Rodgers to target or Za’Darius Smith on the defensive side of the ball, but they’ll likely still find ways to win. The Packers added Christian Watson in this year’s draft to replace Adams (not that he can replace him alone) and they beefed up their defense with three rookies out of Georgia.

The coaching matchup between Matt LaFleur and Sean McVay also makes this game an intriguing one. LaFleur was on McVay’s coaching staff in 2017, but he’s since won 13 games in each of his first three seasons as the head coach of the Packers.

What makes this game even more interesting is the fact that the Rams will have to travel to play at Lambeau Field in December, which will likely mean the game will be played in frigid conditions.


Week 17 at Los Angeles Chargers
It will be a battle of the Los Angeles teams when the Rams square off against the Chargers in the second-to-last week of the season. Coming off a Super Bowl victory, the Rams are the clear No. 1 team in California right now.

That being said, the Chargers got much better this offseason by acquiring Khalil Mack via trade and signing J.C. Jackson in free agency. Justin Herbert is a fringe elite quarterback and he has an assortment of weapons in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Gerald Everett.

Barring injuries, the Chargers should compete for the AFC West crown in 2022. Getting a chance to see the Los Angeles squads duke it out with high-flying offenses should make this a must-watch game in what could be a vital game in the playoff picture for both franchises.


Week 12 at Kansas City Chiefs
You could make the argument that the Kansas City Chiefs or the Las Vegas Raiders could be included as one of the biggest games for the Rams. Despite the Raiders undergoing an extreme makeover this offseason, the last time we saw the Rams and the Chiefs square off it was one of the best games in NFL history.

Back in 2018, Los Angeles and Kansas City faced one another, with the Rams coming away with a 54-51 at home. This time around, the Rams will have to travel to Arrowhead Stadium, and they’ll have Stafford under center instead of Jared Goff.

Even though Tyreek Hill was traded earlier this offseason, the Chiefs still have Patrick Mahomes orchestrating the offense and his assortment of weapons is still solid with Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Skyy Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Mecole Hardman.