NFL schedule makers know exactly what they are doing.
But they might not even have known just how well their first slate of games for the 2022 NFL season could turn out.
Beyond the season beginning with a potential Super Bowl preview, as the Los Angeles Rams host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, September 8th, there are a number of potential revenge games on the horizon for the first week of the season.
Cleveland Browns at Carolina Panthers
(Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports)
With the Carolina Panthers making it official, and naming Baker Mayfield as the starting quarterback, he’ll open the season at home.
Against his former team.
When the Cleveland Browns made the decision to trade for Deshaun Watson this offseason, that made Mayfield one of the most attractive quarterback options on the open market. Now he’ll get his first start for a new team, against the team that sent him away.
Watson will be suspended for the game, due to his violations of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy and the 11-game suspension he will serve this season. But with Mayfield’s well-known ability to self-motivate, you can expect a fired up Panthers quarterback when this game kicks off on Sunday, September 11th.
Baltimore Ravens at New York Jets
(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
Who says you can’t go home, so to speak?
With Zach Wilson’s status for Week 1 in doubt, as he recovers from recent knee surgery, the door is open for Joe Flacco to be the starting quarterback for the New York Jets in the season opener.
Against the team he won a Super Bowl with.
When the Baltimore Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, it opened the door for the rookie to take over at some point in Baltimore. Flacco began the year as the starter, but a hip injury suffered in Week 9 led to Jackson taking over, and never looked back.
Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos prior to the 2019 season, and began the year as Denver’s starter. But a neck injury suffered in Week 8 saw his season cut short. He was released by the Broncos with a failed physical designation, and ultimately signed with the Jets to backup Sam Darnold.
But with Wilson’s availability in doubt for Week 1 — and head coach Robert Saleh having “all the faith in the world” in him — Flacco could just get a shot at his former team.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Let’s face it. Every game this year within the AFC West might feel like a revenge game. After all, when your division sports four of the game’s top quarterbacks, and every fan base believes their team has a legitimate shot at the division title, it just might mean more.
But who can forget the final regular-season game of the 2021 season? With a playoff berth on the line — and tie-breaking rules making it possible for both teams to get into the post-season — the Raiders and Chargers squared off on Sunday Night Football.
The game went into overtime, thanks to a furious fourth-quarter comeback from the Chargers to force extra football. The teams traded field goals in overtime, before the Raiders converted on a field goal at the end of overtime, sending them into the playoffs.
And the Chargers home for the winter.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers get their first crack at revenge in the season-opener.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Washington Commanders
All Carson Wentz and the Indianapolis Colts needed to do in the final game of the season to reach the playoffs was beat the Jacksonville Jaguars. After enduring the short-lived Urban Meyer Era, Jacksonville limped into the final week of the 2021 NFL season not looking at a potential playoff berth, but rather looking at locking up the first-overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.
Instead of Wentz and the Colts locking down that playoff berth, Wentz perhaps punched his ticket out of Indianapolis. Under pressure from the Jaguars’ defense all afternoon long, Wentz finished the day completing 17 of 29 passes for 185 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception. He also lost a fumble, and posted a QBR of just 4.3 on the afternoon.
A few months later, the Colts would trade him to the Washington Commanders.
Who just happened to host the Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season.
Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
How does Week 1 of the 2022 NFL season draw to a close?
With Russell Wilson returning to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, now as a member of the Denver Broncos.
The Seahawks look to be going through the beginning of a rebuild, and are deciding between Drew Lock and Geno Smith as their new starting quarterback. This came about after deciding to trade Wilson to the Broncos prior to the 2022 NFL draft.
For years, Wilson had the benefit of playing his home games at Lumen Field, a difficult environment for visiting teams thanks to the noise level that is generated by Seattle’s fans.
Now he’ll have to navigate that in his first regular-season game in a different uniform.
.