Chargers to play 5 prime-time games; open vs. Raiders
The Chargers’ revamped defense will get tested early in the 2022 regular season against the new-look offenses of the AFC West.
Chargers coach Brandon Staley will also get to showcase his new star defenders, Khalil Mack and J.C. Jackson, with five prime-time games this season.
The Chargers will open the new season at home against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 11 before traveling to Kansas City four days later for a “Thursday Night Football” matchup in Week 2. The league announced the Chargers’ full 2022 schedule on Thursday.
The Chargers’ first matchup against new Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will be in Week 6 at SoFi Stadium for “Monday Night Football” on Oct. 17.
The all-Los Angeles showdown against the Super Bowl champion Rams will be on Jan. 1 with the Chargers as the home team during the “Sunday Night Football” matchup in Week 17. The Chargers also have prime-time games against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 for “Sunday Night Football” and versus the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16 for “Monday Night Football.”
CHARGERS SCHEDULE
PRESEASON
Aug. 13: Rams, 7 p.m., CBS
Aug. 20: Dallas, 7 p.m., CBS
TBD: at New Orleans, TBD, CBS
REGULAR SEASON
Sept. 11: Las Vegas, 1:25p.m., Ch. 2
Sept. 15 (Thursday): at Kansas City, 5:15p.m., Prime Video
Sept. 25: Jacksonville, 1:05 p.m., Ch. 2
Oct. 2: at Houston, 10a.m., Ch. 2
Oct. 9: at Cleveland, 10 a.m., Ch. 2
After the two divisional games to open the season, the Chargers return to SoFi Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 25 before back-to-back road games against the Houston Texans on Oct. 2 and the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 9.
The Chargers will have a bye week in Week 8 and play the Atlanta Falcons on the road in Week 9 before facing a gauntlet in the back half of the 2022 schedule. The Chargers’ final nine games of the season will be against the 49ers, Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Colts, Rams and Broncos
Oct. 17 (Monday): Denver, 5:15 p.m., ESPN
Oct. 23: Seattle, 1:25p.m., Ch. 11
Nov. 6: at Atlanta, 10 a.m., Ch. 11
Nov. 13: at San Francisco, 5:20 p.m., Ch. 4
Nov. 20: Kansas City, 1:25p.m., Ch. 2
Nov. 27: at Arizona, 1:05p.m., Ch. 2
Dec. 4: at Las Vegas, 1:25p.m., Ch. 2
Dec. 11: Miami, 1:05 p.m., Ch. 2
Dec. 18: Tennessee, 1:25p.m., Ch. 2
Dec. 26 (Monday): at Indianapolis, 5:15 p.m., ESPN
Jan. 1: Rams, 5:20 p.m., Ch. 4
Jan. 7 or 8: at Denver, TBD, TBD
— all teams that appear to be postseason contenders, including six who made the playoffs in 2021.
But the Chargers were already expecting to have a tough schedule after the upgrades the Raiders and Broncos made in the division to contend with the Chiefs, the reigning six-time AFC West champions.
The Chargers took steps forward last season in Staley’s first season as head coach, but they fell short after a heartbreaking loss to the Raiders in Week 18 that kept them out of the playoffs. Chargers defenders have expressed their disappointment about that thrilling game several times this offseason.
Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. said he has a love-hate relationship with the thrilling regular-season finale. Linebacker Drue Tranquill said he let his offensive teammates down in Las Vegas. The Chargers won’t have to wait long to get closure with the Raiders first on the schedule.
“Coming off the loss to the Raiders, I really felt, personally, and I know a lot of people on the defensive side of the ball felt like we could have played a lot better and given our offense more chances,” Tranquill said earlier this month. “They really, really played well, especially if you look at that Raiders game, what they were able to do coming from behind. They had a really special unit.
“To be able to add some of these additions (on defense) and get better personnel-wise and be able to add to our team is really, really super cool.”
The Chargers’ revamped defense with Mack and Jackson will get a Week 1 opportunity against the Raiders to make it up to Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert and his offense.
There are many intriguing storylines for the Chargers’ season opener, including Mack making his Chargers debut versus his former team. Mack spent his first four seasons in the NFL with the Raiders before being traded to the Chicago Bears in 2018. Mack was traded again after Chicago sent him to L.A. to reunite with Staley.
Jackson, the Chargers’ prize of free agency, will be matched against new Raiders star receiver Davante Adams, who was traded by the Green Bay Packers in the offseason.
“They better be ready for us,” Jackson said about the Raiders in March.
The Chargers made various defensive improvements with the additions of defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day, Austin Johnson and edge rusher Kyle Van Noy. They also added to their offense through the draft with offensive guard Zion Johnson and running back Isaiah Spiller.
But every team in the NFL believes they got better in the offseason. The Chargers will be tested early to prove they’re more than just hype in 2022, and there is no better way to do that than to start against the team that ended their playoff hopes last season.
“We fought to the end and saw the potential of our team, but we still didn’t come out victorious in that game,” Samuel said. “But I saw the potential from that game, of what we can do and what we have on this team.”