The 2022 NFL regular-season schedule was unveiled last night by the league. There were no surprises in its release that the Kansas City Chiefs were scheduled to play each team in the AFC South and North, as well as three other 2021 divisional winners, in the AFC West and NFC West (Buffalo, Tampa Bay, and Cincinnati).
Here is a look at the Kansas City Chiefs’ 2022 regular-season schedule, including the week-by-week matchups and my predictions for each game on the schedule.
Week 1: at Cardinals (3:25 CST)
At Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs hope to end the season. State Farm Stadium in Phoenix will host Super Bowl 56, and while the big dance in February is always the goal, there is a long, exhausting journey ahead. The Chiefs are expected to be the early front-runners in week one.
Additionally, it is important to point out that Cardinals WR Deandre Hopkins will miss the start of the season as he serves a six-game suspension for violating the league’s anti-doping policy.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the new offensive line, along with the physicality of the defense, are ready to put on a show against an NFC West offense that is still in its infancy.
Week 2 (TNF): vs Chargers (7:15)
Unfortunately, the Chargers’ first meeting will take place on a short week, but the growing fervor of this rivalry and the excitement of the return of the Chiefs Kingdom to Arrowhead will make up for that. Once again, the Chiefs and Chargers will face off in front of a sold-out crowd. These two resurrected superpowers will have a blast reuniting for the first time in years. There are no more easy wins for Kansas City, but the Chiefs will get the nod in their season opener at Arrowhead Stadium.
With a 2-0 start and a 1-0 lead in the division, the energy in the building will be much higher than it was during the team’s shaky start in 2021.
Exploring why KC Chiefs aren’t playing in Germany in 2022
The Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were among the teams named when the NFL announced the schedule of international games to be played during the NFL season of 2022. An exciting proposal was left on the table and the anticipated Bucs vs. Chiefs matchup in Munich was only a dream.
In the grand scheme of things, it makes sense to leave the Chiefs at home this season. It’s not the most exciting football to watch in ’22, but it’s the best strategy from a 30,000-foot perspective to get the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl.
The league unveiled a new global marketing strategy earlier this year. Every NFL team had to apply to advertise in “Home Marketing Areas,” or emerging countries where the NFL is making an effort to establish a presence. Four NFL teams were “awarded” the opportunity to increase the popularity of their franchise in Germany as part of a recent competition. An NFL team can host in-person events, create marketing opportunities, and run youth football camps if they are awarded the territory.
Four American football teams have been granted the right to play regular-season games in Germany for the next four years: the Kansas City Chiefs; Carolina Panthers; Seahawks; and Buccaneers.
kc chiefs game
Analysts and fans immediately began to speculate that the Chiefs and Buccaneers would play in FC Bayern Munich Stadium in 2022. Due to the NFL’s rotation, the teams were already scheduled to play each other, so they only needed to set the date and location. However, the NFL announced on Wednesday that the Seahawks and Buccaneers would take their places. That was a bad idea, to say the least.
It’s clear, however, that the Carolina Panthers are a dysfunctional team. To date, the Jets’ quarterback situation hasn’t improved since they acquired Sam Darnold in exchange for him as a starter in 2011. Everyone wouldn’t be surprised if the Panthers brought in a new head coach next winter, and they’d remain an inferior product for quite some time. Following the trade of Russell Wilson, the Seahawks now have Drew Lock as their starting quarterback.
The Buccaneers, on the other hand, will continue to be a top NFL draw as long as Tom Brady is the starting quarterback. In light of Patrick Mahomes’ long-term quarterback situation, the Kansas City Chiefs are an even better team to have linked up with Germany than they were before.
Because the NFL is already a novelty in Germany, they won’t have a problem attracting a crowd. London gets the Jacksonville Jaguars every year because let’s face it, that’s what the NFL has done for a while. When the league can play the Bucs against a team like the Seahawks while Brady is still quarterbacking, it can switch to the Chiefs next season—the only team of the four that is almost guaranteed to be entertaining.
However, the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term drawbacks of watching Brady and Mahomes go head-to-head in Munich. Without Seattle vs. Carolina, the league could be relying on a game that no one cares about, a game that deflates the momentum just one year into their expansion in Germany.
