Tonight, it begins.
Let’s look at how it’s going to end.
The Los Angeles Rams begin their defense of their Super Bowl title opening up the season against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. It’s the first game of the NFL 2022 season.
Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the game and all its fanfare will be on NBC.
This is the second year of the 18-week, 17-game regular season. Seven teams from each conference will make the playoffs.
The Rams have the toughest, by winning percentage, schedule in the NFL. That’s not because they are defending Super Bowl champs, it’s really because of how good the records of the other teams in the division were (like, if the 49ers and Cardinals were each 5-12 last year, the Rams’ schedule wouldn’t be so tough on paper). The schedules are the same slots each year, just reshuffled based on the previous year’s standings.
One of the secrets in the NFL when it comes to the schedule is it’s not really who you play, but when you play. Injuries are a certainty in the NFL, and can widely change a team’s fortunes. Getting home games on short week Thursday nights help. Playing cold weather teams in December is not so good.
Here’s my prediction on each of the Rams’ 17 regular season games:
Week 1 – Today vs. Buffalo, 8:20 p.m.
The Bills are being anointed as the team to beat in the AFC and a Super Bowl contender. Are they walking right into the Rams’ trap? I hate teams that play the ‘no one believes in us card.’ Every NFL player is believed in and supported, but it does feel like the Rams are being overshadowed here. I do worry about the Rams’ ability to block the Bills’ front four.
The pick: Bills
Week 2 – Sept. 18 vs. Atlanta, 4:05 p.m.
Atlanta is in full rebuild mode with new starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, but former college star Desmond Ridder waiting for his chance. Atlanta has star tight end Kyle Pitts and not much else. The Rams will have no worries in this one. This is a perfect ‘get-right’ game for the Rams.
The pick: Rams
Week 3 – Sept. 25 at Arizona, 4:25 p.m.
I still think the Rams’ whole 2021 season turned on last year’s trip to Arizona. Now it might be the Cardinals’ turn to make a stand, but there’s so much smoke here with the weird contract thing for Kyler Murray and the Rams just match up well with the Cardinals.
The pick: Rams
Week 4 – Oct. 3 at San Francisco, 8:15 p.m.
Anyone else see the whole Jimmy Garoppolo deal as the 49ers hedging their bets on Trey Lance? That’s what it has to be. However, of all the games on the Rams’ schedule, this one may be the toughest. The 49ers will want revenge for last year’s NFC Championship game.
The pick: 49ers
Week 5 – Oct. 9 vs. Dallas, 4:25 p.m.
The Cowboys have some serious holes on offense, with very questionable depth at wide receiver and offensive line. Dak Prescott can’t do it all by himself. There will be lots of sad Cowboy fans at SoFi.
The pick: Rams
Week 6 – Oct. 16 vs. Carolina, 4:05 p.m.
This is what I mean by how important it is when you play a team. The Rams got another early-season gift getting the Panthers here. Carolina is flailing. The defense is rebuilding. Christian McCaffrey is usually hurt. The Rams head into their bye week with an easy win.
The pick: Rams
Week 8 – Oct. 30 vs. San Francisco, 4:25 p.m.
Again, you have to like the when part of this schedule. Here the Rams look like they’re 4-2, coming off a bye week and now they get the 49ers at home after the 49ers beat them earlier. Here is where the Rams make a stand.
The pick: Rams
Week 9 – Nov. 6 at Tampa Bay, 4:25 p.m.
One of the biggest games on the NFL schedule with Tom Brady and the Bucs hosting the Rams in a playoff rematch. A month ago, this looked like a Bucs win, now….with Brady stepping away at training camp (probably a non-story, I mean, do you think he doesn’t know the offense?) but all the injuries to the Bucs offensive line, who blocks Aaron Donald? This is just a good match-up for the Rams, just like last year. The truth is the playoff game should have been a blowout too.
The pick: Rams
Week 10 – Nov. 13 vs. Arizona, 4:25 p.m.
Listen, you know a clunker is coming in here sooner or later, right? No NFL team is going 17-0 in the regular season. There are natural highs and lows on a team. I think this is a total trap game for the Rams, either this one or the following week.
The pick: Cardinals
Week 11 – Nov. 20 at New Orleans, 1 p.m.
On the surface, this game looks more like a potential ‘everything-goes-wrong-game’ for the Rams. It’s on the road. The Saints have some talent on defense, but the Rams just have the Saints’ number. I feel like the Rams won’t let the Saints sneak up on them like they might with the Cardinals.
The pick: Rams
Week 12 – Nov. 27 at Kansas City, 4:25 p.m.
By this point in the season, you’re just hoping teams are healthy because if they are, this is an incredible match-up. This will be the first meeting since the Epic (caps intended) Epic 54-51 Monday Night game in the Coliseum in 2018. Even if the Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill, they still have the firepower to match the Rams, and I like the Chiefs at home.
The pick: Chiefs
Week 13 – Dec. 4 vs. Seattle, 4:05 p.m.
Six games left in the regular season and by this point, the Rams will be setting up for playoff positioning and the Seahawks will be playing out the string. Drew Lock? Seriously? The Seahawks are a year away from being a year away. I wonder how long DK Metcalf waits around for this. Schedule makers do the Rams a huge favor here.
The pick: Rams
Week 14 – Dec. 8 vs. Las Vegas, 8:15 p.m.
Are you buying the Raiders? The AFC West looks so good on paper with the Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders fighting it out. I actually think the Raiders will be all right, but this is a Thursday night game, late in the season. The Rams get it at home. That’s an incredible advantage.
The pick: Rams
Week 15 – Dec. 19 at Green Bay, 8:15 p.m.
Let’s talk about the when again. The Rams get a mini-bye heading into this game. All week, the media will talk about the weather forecast and whether the Rams are a ‘cold weather’ team. It’s all such nonsense, but the truth is Aaron Rodgers is still a bad man.
The pick: Packers
Week 16 – Christmas vs. Denver, 4:30 p.m.
I don’t get the fascination with the Broncos entering this season. Teams don’t give up on superstar quarterbacks unless there is a reason, is Russell Wilson really good enough to lift the Broncos into contention? He has no one to throw to. The Rams have a Merry Christmas.
The pick: Rams
Week 17 – Jan. 1 at LA Chargers, 8:20 p.m.
This is another reason why saying the Rams have a tough schedule is bogus. The Rams get an extra home game in 2022 playing their roommates the Chargers. No plane trip, no travel schedule. At this point in the season, that’s a big help. The bad news is the Chargers may be fighting for their playoff lives here.
The pick: Chargers
Week 18 – Jan. 8 at Seattle, TBD
No time is set for this one because the NFL will hold games that have playoff implications for Sunday night. It’s unlikely this one will have that kind of meaning. The Seahawks may be playing for pride, while the Rams will be resting players to get ready for the playoffs.
The pick: Rams
Overall record: I have the Rams at 11-6, winning a tiebreaker with the 49ers for the NFC West division title and the three seed in the playoffs. The playoffs will be a whole new when and where.
