Chargers open 2022 season against Raiders, face Rams on New Year's Day
The much-anticipated 2022 regular-season schedule was released Thursday, and the Los Angeles Chargers will open it against the same division rival that ended their playoff hopes last year, the Las Vegas Raiders.
The two teams will square off at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 11.
The game will be a rematch of the Chargers' final game of the 2021 regular season, a bizarre affair in which both teams would have advanced to the playoffs with a tie.
The Bolts scored 15 points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to tie the score and force overtime. They then retied the score on a field goal with 4:30 left in overtime, but lost on Daniel Carlson's 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime.
The 35-32 loss ended the Chargers' hopes of making the playoffs. The Raiders were defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals the following week in the wildcard round.
A highlight of the Chargers' 17-game schedule is a New Year's Day "Sunday Night Football" tilt against the Super Bowl champion Rams at SoFi Stadium, with the Chargers designated as the home team.
Because New Year's Day falls on a Sunday in 2023, there will be no conflict with the Rose Bowl Game, which will be played on Jan. 2 because of its "Never on Sunday" rule.
The Chargers will play four other prime-time games, beginning Sept. 15 when they play at the Kansas City Chiefs on "Thursday Night Football." The game that will be streamed on Amazon Prime.
The Chargers will also play on SNF on Nov. 13 in a road game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Chargers will play "Monday Night Football" games against Denver at SoFi Stadium Oct. 17, and at Indianapolis Dec. 26.
The NFL's schedule is based on a formula assuring that a team will face each of the 31 other teams at least once over four years.
The Chargers will open their three-game preseason schedule by facing the Rams Aug. 13, with the Chargers also designated as the home team.
Here is the Chargers' 2022 regular-season schedule:
Sept. 11: Las Vegas
Sept. 15: at Kansas City
Sept. 25: Jacksonville
Oct. 2: at Houston
Oct. 9: at Cleveland
Oct. 17: Denver
Oct. 23: Seattle
Nov. 6: at Atlanta
Nov. 13: at San Francisco
Nov. 20: Kansas City
Nov. 27: at Arizona
Dec. 4: at Las Vegas
Dec. 11: Miami
Dec. 18: Tennessee
Dec. 26: at Indianapolis
Jan. 1: Los Angeles Rams
Jan. 7/8: at Denver
