Bills at Rams, Wilson at Seattle in Week 1

To the Super Bowl winner goes the spoils of opening the entire schedule at home.

So the Rams will host the Bills on Thursday night, Sept. 8, to begin the 2022 season.

It’s a juicy matchup of the team generally considered the title favorite by oddsmakers in the Bills traveling to SoFi Stadium, where the Rams won the championship over the Bengals in February.

The Bengals are home to their division rivals, the Steelers, on Sunday, Sept. 11, when all but two other teams get started. Those two clubs playing on Monday night also offer an enticing storyline: Russell Wilson bringing his Broncos to Seattle. The Seahawks traded their longtime quarterback to Denver in the offseason.

Sunday’s prime-time game features Tom Brady and the Buccaneers at Dallas. Brady’s decision to unretire after a short hiatus forced NFL schedule makers to scramble and redo some of the game slots.

Several key division matchups are on tap for Sept. 11: Packers at Vikings, Saints at Falcons, Colts at Texans, Patriots at Dolphins and Raiders at Chargers.

“Expecting to have an unbelievable crowd there,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told the team’s website. “I’ve talked a lot about being on that visitor’s sideline, so I know what the Packers will be in store for on opening weekend.”

There’s another eye-opening matchup: The Jaguars, with new coach Doug Pederson, at Washington, with new quarterback Carson Wentz. Pederson coached Wentz in Philadelphia and won a Super Bowl with the Eagles.

Also, it will be Browns at Panthers, Eagles at Lions, Ravens at Jets, Chiefs at Cardinals and Giants at Titans.

Teams that will open on the road and will be home in Week 2 include the Chiefs hosting the Chargers in the first Amazon Prime Video game on Thursday night. Also, the Titans are at the Bills on Monday night, followed by Vikings at Eagles.

Finally playing at home in Week 3 will be the Buccaneers, who face the Packers. It’ll be Brady facing Aaron Rodgers.

The traditional Thanksgiving games will have the Lions hosting the Bills, the Cowboys at home for the Giants and the Patriots at the Vikings at night.

Christmas Eve also will have a game, with the Raiders at the Steelers, 50 years after the “Immaculate Reception” on Dec. 23, 1972.

DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP Quarterback Russell Wilson will make his Broncos debut against his former team, the Seahawks, in the “Monday Night Football” opener.