The 2022 NFL schedule has finally arrived. The culmination of the off-season, after free agency and the draft, the schedule release day is that last moment when every team truly has hope.
Because over the summer and into the start of the season, things will change. Players will struggle in camp, injuries will creep into the equation, and eventually, games will kick off and losses will mount.
But right now, and over the next few days, every fan base will find a way to talk themselves into ten wins.
The beauty of packaged hope.
Still, now that the schedule is out, we can start to unpack what we will see in the fall. From big games to revenge contests, and everything in between. In this piece, we’ll dive into some of the most-anticipated schematic clashes on the 2022 NFL regular season schedule.
Week 2/Week 11: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
(AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
Any time two football-throwing aliens square off, it is worth watching.
And between Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, we have a pair of football-throwing aliens worth tuning in for.
Still, what makes this game fascinating on paper is the matchup between the Chargers’ defensive front, and the Chiefs’ offensive line.
Back in Super Bowl LV, the Chiefs watched as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive front chased Mahomes all over Raymond James Stadium. Compounding the problem was the fact that Tampa Bay was largely able to do that with just four rushers, giving them a numbers advantage in the secondary.
Now look at the Chargers, with the additions of Khalil Mack and Kyle Van Noy this off-season. Los Angeles is built to pressure teams with four, given that Joey Bosa is already in the fold.
Of course, Kansas City did not rest on their laurels after Super Bowl LV. They completely rebuilt that offensive line, rolling out a completely new unit for the 2021 season. That unit helped the Chiefs get to the AFC Championship game, where they were finally stymied by the…