We finally made it! The 2022 NFL season kicks off Thursday night with an epic matchup between the reigning Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and a Buffalo Bills squad who are favorites to make it to the big game this season.
The first week of the NFL provides plenty of high-profile matchups and storylines worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. Big names in new places; players facing off against their former teams; division rivals kicking off the season. You name it, the NFL has got it.
As the 2022 NFL season kicks off, our 32 NFL Wire editors offered their reasons for why you should tune in to each game in Week 1.
Steelers vs. Bengals
Steelers – The Steelers have themselves a brand new quarterback after 18 seasons of Ben Roethlisberger. You are going to want to tune in to see if Mitch Trubisky, who is a huge leap athletically can get the most out of what promises to be a very talented group of skill-position players while at the same time contending with an aggressive Bengals defense going against a shaky Steelers offensive line. You also don’t want to miss out on what might be the most disruptive defense in the NFL led by DT Cam Heyward, LB T.J. Watt and S Minkah Fitzpatrick as they confound and torment Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow all afternoon. – Curt Popejoy, Steelers Wire
Bengals – The Bengals just went to a Super Bowl after winning a playoff game for the first time since…let’s just say an entire generation of fans had never seen it happen. Joe Burrow is a top-10 passer, Ja’Marr Chase is a top-three wideout and they’re playing the Steelers at the freshly-named Paycor Stadium. They beat those Steelers by a combined score of 65-20 last year and are favored here after returning the majority of their Super Bowl roster besides upgrading the offensive line four times. Meaning, it should be fun. – Chris Roling, Bengals Wire
49ers vs. Bears
49ers – It’s Trey Lance’s debut as the 49ers’ QB1 and San Francisco’s offense could become one of the NFL’s best with head coach Kyle Shanahan orchestrating it. It could also be a colossal disaster, if you’re into that sort of thing. The 49ers should also have one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by Defensive Player of the Year candidate Nick Bosa and All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner. That group is fast, relentless and a ton of fun to watch, especially when they’re presented with a challenge like the one Bears QB Justin Fields offers. – Kyle Madson, Niners Wire
Bears – The Bears might not seem like a team you would willingly watch after the national media declared them among (if not the) worst team in the NFL. But it’s a new dawn in Chicago under head coach Matt Eberflus. The reason you come (and stay) for this game is the battle between last year’s first-round quarterbacks Justin Fields and Trey Lance. While Fields might not have the sexiest supporting cast, he has a new quarterback-friendly scheme under Luke Getsy and a blossoming connection with receiver Darnell Mooney that should make this a competitive game. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire
Eagles vs. Lions
Eagles – One of the few teams entering the 2022 regular season with outrageous hype, the Eagles are the team to watch on Sunday because there’s star power at every position, and a revamped defense that could become the NFL’s best by seasons end. Jalen Hurts is looking to become the official face of the franchise and he’ll be throwing to best friend, and top-10 pass catcher, A.J. Brown. Philadelphia has the league’s top offensive line, and are always one big play away from scoring. On defense, Jonathan Gannon will unveil the ultimate ‘Weapon’ in SAM linebacker Haason Reddick, along with the NFL debut off former Georgia All American defensive tackle, Jordan Davis. – Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire
Lions – After starring on Hard Knocks in training camp, Dan Campbell’s young Lions hope to continue the intrigue into games that matter. From prized rookie DE Aidan Hutchinson’s NFL debut in his hometown of Detroit to the upgraded weaponry on offense surrounding QB Jared Goff, the Lions have a number of appealing storylines that intrigue beyond the local viewing area. The Eagles trounced the Lions 44-6 a year ago, the lowest point of a season full of dark valleys. This one figures to be a good barometer for how far the Lions have come, and perhaps also how far they still have to climb. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire
Patriots vs. Dolphins
Patriots – Coach Bill Belichick tipped his cap of respect to the Dolphins—or mother nature—by flying his team out five days early to get acclimated to playing in the sweltering heat at South Beach. Miami has served as a house of horrors for a Patriots team that is 2-7 in their last nine trips to face their division rivals. A win on Sunday with Mac Jones under center would end that nightmare and put a muzzle on the naysayers of this 2022 Patriots team. – Jordy McElroy Patriots Wire
Dolphins – Miami enters Week 1 with a number of questions, as their offense is revamped, and their led by new hotshot head coach Mike McDaniel. This will be the first opportunity to see it all come together and see whether or not Tua Tagovailoa is ready to take that next step or he is the type of quarterback we’ve seen in his first two seasons. Add in the fact that this is a division game against a team that some believe could be fighting the Dolphins for a postseason spot, and this game has intrigue everywhere. – Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire
Browns vs. Panthers
Browns – The easy, exciting storyline for Cleveland is a chance to beat their former starting QB Baker Mayfield who they traded to Carolina this offseason. The way the Browns defense played in the second half of last year, along with some young depth added, could make Mayfield’s day miserable and Cleveland’s fans’ day joyful. Getting to watch a top-flight receiver like Amari Cooper will be a fun addition to the run dominance of the past few years. – Jared K. Mueller, Browns Wire
Panthers – Russell Wilson versus the Seattle Seahawks and Joe Flacco versus the Baltimore Ravens are going to be nice and all, but this is THE revenge game of the week, baby! As much as new Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield has denied it, the former No. 1 overall pick is out for some sweet, sweet vengeance against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Can he kick off his 2022 prove-it tour with an impressive team debut and a win over the organization that unceremoniously dumped him this summer? – Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire
Colts vs. Texans
Colts – Another year, another quarterback. Matt Ryan is now under center bringing a certain leadership and poise to the huddle that the Colts missed in 2021. They made impressive additions to the defensive side of the ball in DE Yannick Ngakoue and CB Stephon Gilmore. The Colts may be strong favorites to defeat the Texans in the eyes of the oddsmakers, but they haven’t won a Week 1 game since 2013. There’s not a single player from that roster currently on the team so this is by no means a walk in the park. – Kevin Hickey, Colts Wire
Texans – Houston committed to bolstering the run game by deploying offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton’s run-heavy scheme, invested in the offensive line with signing G A.J. Cann and drafting first-round G Kenyon Green, and picking RB Dameon Pierce. Will the Texans’ rushing attack improve, or will they continue to generate failure and frustration on the ground? Getting the run game going will also allow them to control the tempo of the game and neutralize the Colts’ offense. – Mark Lane, Texans Wire
Saints vs. Falcons
Saints – It’s a brand new era of Saints football, with Dennis Allen stepping into a new role as head coach and Jameis Winston returning from a season-ending injury with a greatly-improved supporting cast. Crazy and unpredictable things always seem to happen in this rivalry, which is the closest thing to college football-style bad blood that the NFL has to offer, and Winston is the perfect chaos agent to ring in the new year. – John Sigler, Saints Wire
Falcons – Atlanta swapped out QB Matt Ryan for Marcus Mariota over the offseason and drafted a shiny new toy in rookie WR Drake London. After splitting the season series with the Saints in 2021, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith will look to kick off his second season with a win over his team’s most-hated rival. Atlanta holds a 54-52 series lead over New Orleans going back to 1967. – Matt Urben, Falcons Wire
Ravens vs. Jets
Ravens – Baltimore suffered through a plethora of injuries during the 2021 season and had such a massive late-season collapse that it might be hard for some to remember just how consistent they’ve been as a franchise over the course of their history. Not to mention, they’ve added plenty of exciting pieces in safeties Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton, offensive lineman Morgan Moses and Tyler Linderbaum as well as many others. Plus, any team with Lamar Jackson is worth watching, and the fifth-year quarterback is out looking to remind people of how dynamic of a player he is after missing the final four games of last year. – Kevin Oestreicher, Ravens Wire
Jets – Even without Zach Wilson, the Jets are worth watching because they have some of the lost exciting rookies this season that are set to make plenty of noise in 2022. That group is led by cornerback Sauce Gardner and running back Breece Hall. Who wouldn’t want to see how a running back that scored 50 touchdowns in college fares in the pros? And a player that now has his own signature sauce? That’s a recipe for success. – Billy Riccette, Jets Wire
Jaguars vs. Commanders
Jaguars – The excitement surrounding Trevor Lawrence’s arrival was dulled by the disaster that was the brief Urban Meyer era in Jacksonville. But after struggling through a rough rookie year, Lawrence now has former Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson on his side. Sunday will be the first look at the next chapter for the Lawrence-led Jaguars with an offense that now includes former first-round pick Travis Etienne and prized free agent Christian Kirk. – Adam Stites, Jaguars Wire
Commanders – Carson Wentz makes his Washington debut Sunday and all eyes will be on him. Rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson had an outstanding summer for the Commanders. However, the player to watch is third-year running back Antonio Gibson. With rookie Brian Robinson Jr. sidelined for at least four weeks, Gibson has the opportunity to once again show coaches why he was once considered one of the top young running backs in the league. Gibson should have a big role in Week 1. – Bryan Manning, Commanders Wire
Packers vs. Vikings
Packers – It’s a border battle between the top two contenders in the NFC North, what more do you really need? The Packers are beginning the post-Davante Adams era, and Matt LaFleur’s team will also roll out what could be one of the NFL’s best defenses in 2022. Also, no one knows how much longer Aaron Rodgers is going to play. This could be his final season opener and final game at U.S. Bank Stadium. – Zach Kruse, Packers Wire
Vikings – The Minnesota Vikings have had defensive-minded head coaches for the last 11 years and on Sunday they debut under offensive-minded head coach Kevin O’Connell. WIth arguably the best group of weapons in the NFL, the prevailing thought is that he can unlock the Kirk Cousins and the offense. Will his Sean McVay-centric approach work to fix what Kirk Cousins unwillingness to push the ball downfield and in tight windows? – Tyler Forness, Vikings Wire
Giants vs. Titans
Giants – The Giants have been bad for a long time. Unfortunately for fans, that’s not likely to change in 2022 as they undergo yet another rebuild. With a thin roster and injuries mounting, pessimism is already beginning to creep in. But there’s nothing like the hope at the start of a new season and despite pulling a tough Week 1 matchup, the slate is clean. For at least four quarters, there’s something to be optimistic about. And plus, it’s regular season football – that’s worth something. Right? – Dan Benton, Giants Wire
Titans – RB Derrick Henry is worth the price of admission all by himself, but the Titans also have some impressive young rookies to watch in WRs Kyle Philips and Treylon Burks. Also, the defense is loaded with talents like DL Jeffery Simmons, S Kevin Byard and CB Kristian Fulton, all of whom should help this defense be elite in 2022 despite the loss of OLB Harold Landry. – Mike Moraitis, Titans Wire
Raiders vs. Chargers
Raiders – The Raiders upset the Chargers in Week 18 last season to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But this is an entirely new team for the Raiders as they will play their first game with WR Davante Adams and DE Chandler Jones. With both teams loaded on offense, this should be one of the highest-scoring contests of the week. Can QB Derek Carr quickly get on the same page with Adams? It’s one of the many reasons this is a must-watch game in the late-afternoon slot. – Marcus Mosher, Raiders Wire
Chargers – After getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Raiders in the season finale, the Chargers open up the new season seeking revenge. Their prolific offense with QB Justin Herbert under the helm and his slew of weapons, WR Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and RB Austin Ekeler, can do some damage to Vegas. Meanwhile, defensively, Los Angeles is equipped to slow down QB Derek Carr and company with the newcomers of CB J.C. Jackson, EDGE Khalil Mack, and DTs Sebastian Joseph-Day and Austin Johnson complemented with the star power of S Derwin James and EDGE Joey Bosa. – Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire
Chiefs vs. Cardinals
Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have boasted one of the league’s most explosive offenses over the past several years. It’s going to look a bit different this year, though. They’ve replaced receivers Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle with JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore and Justin Watson. Mahomes will get an opportunity to take this WR group for a test drive against a Cardinals team that’s dealing with injuries and uncertainty at the cornerback position. That reason alone is enough to tune in. – Charles Goldman, Chiefs Wire
Cardinals – It shouldn’t take much to wonder why you would want to watch game. It features Kyler Murray vs. Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes faces his former college head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, for the first time. Both teams have explosive offenses. It is Murray’s first game since signing his huge contract extension. CBS has made it their No. 1 game of the week and it will air in most of the country. For fans of high-powered passing offenses, this might be the top matchup in the league on Sunday. – Jess Root, Cards Wire
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys
Buccaneers – I mean, it’s Tom Brady vs. “America’s Team” in prime time. That should be enough, but you have marquee matchups like Mike Evans vs. Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons vs. Tristan Wirfs, Carlton Davis III vs. CeeDee Lamb. A rematch of last year’s Sunday night opener in Tampa, the Cowboys get home-field advantage of this one, looking for some revenge. Last year’s game came down to a last-minute drive from Brady, and a game-winning field goal in the final seconds. Don’t be surprised if this one ends up being just as dramatic. – Luke Easterling, Bucs Wire
Cowboys – Assuming you aren’t a Cowboys’ fan, then what’s more enjoyable than watching to see if the most hated team in sports will lose on any given Sunday? The game itself? Tasty. Tom Brady has likely reached the halfway point of his career now at age 45, and seeing him take the stage against Dak Prescott is one of the most fun QB matchups of the season. Dallas’ defense led the league in forced turnovers and appears to still have that magic, as well as the next Devin Hester in return-man KaVontae Turpin. Buckle up for big plays from all three phases. – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
Broncos vs. Seahawks
Broncos – QB Russell Wilson is reason enough to watch the Broncos, but even more so when he’s returning to Seattle to face off against his former team. Whether it’s a blowout or a close game, this Monday Night Football showdown is going to be entertaining. How will the fans respond to Wilson’s return? How well will Wilson operate Denver’s offense after the Broncos rested their starters for all of preseason? Tune in! – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire
Seahawks – We have a feeling Seahawks fans might be looking for a silver lining by halftime, so I’ll offer two for the price of one: Seattle’s starting rookie OT pair of Charles Cross and Abe Lucas. Their NFL careers may be in their infancy, but both showed a vast amount of potential during the preseason. Lucas mauled in the run game and Cross was polished as a pass protector. Watch the edges and get ready to feel excited about the future of this offense. – Tim Weaver, Seahawks Wire
