Early storylines for each of the Rams’ 17 games

LA will face Trey Lance and SF twice early, and they’ll take on a DeAndre Hopkins-less Cardinals team in Week 3

By JB Scott May 13, 2022, 10:08am CDT

NFC Wild Card Playoffs - Arizona Cardinals v Los Angeles Rams

The 2022 regular season schedule is set for the Los Angeles Rams.

While there’s a long way to go until September - and knowing Les Snead and the Rams a lot could change before then - each of the 17 matchups are intriguing in their own way. The NFL season never unfolds how we expect, but here are early narratives surrounding every game the Rams will play this upcoming season.

LA Rams 2022 schedule

Week 1 - Rams vs Buffalo Bills (TNF), September 8

The last matchup between these two teams was early in the 2020 season and the Bills came out on top. The Rams fell behind early, but Aaron Donald willed them back into the game.

This will be a tough opening test for the defending champs - though we could look back in February 2023 and say this was a preview for Super Bowl LVII.

Week 2 - Rams vs Atlanta Falcons, September 18

Hosting the Falcons in Week 2 could serve either as a prime rebounding opportunity following an emotional loss or a reprieve after a gutsy Week 1 victory. LA will have 10 days of rest coming into this game.

It’s not a question of if the Rams can win - it’s how much they will win by.

Week 3 - Rams at Arizona Cardinals, September 25

Kyler Murray will have one less weapon at his disposal in this game: DeAndre Hopkins is suspended for the first six weeks and is expected to miss this matchup.

The Cards lost Christian Kirk, Chandler Jones, and Haason Reddick in free agency. Can they prevent another loss to the Rams after being dismantled in last year’s Wildcard round?

Week 4 - Rams at SF 49ers (MNF), October 3

This could be the LA’s first matchup against second-year quarterback Trey Lance. Will Lance prove worthy of the 49ers’ significant investment - making Rams fans worry about facing him for years to come? Could adapting to the NFL prove too tough for the young signal caller?

Week 5 - Rams vs Dallas Cowboys, October 9

Los Angeles could have made the playoffs in 2019 with a win over the Cowboys, but Dak Prescott and company handily defeated Sean McVay’s team 44-21.

The Rams still have a bad taste in their mouth from that game - they will be out for revenge.

Week 6 - Rams vs Carolina Panthers, October 16

There are no easy wins in the NFL, but Carolina will be in the running for the top draft choice in 2023. With a bye week on the horizon, LA should pick up a win and build on their first half momentum.

Week 7 - BYE

A tad early perhaps, but always good for the bye to come around the mid-point.

Week 8 - Rams vs SF 49ers, October 30

At this point in the season, teams will have adequate film on Trey Lance and defenses will have a game plan to slow him down. He might have surprised the Rams in Week 4, but this time defensive coordinator Raheem Morris shuts him and the 49ers offense down. Bobby Wagner is a force against the San Francisco run game and leads the way for the defense.

Week 9 - Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, November 6

Jalen Ramsey and the Rams thought they retired Tom Brady after last year’s divisional round win - but the ageless wonder is back.

Could this be the last time we see Brady face off against the Rams, or is this foreshadowing for another playoff showdown?

NFC Divisional Playoffs - Los Angeles Rams v Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 10 - Rams vs Arizona Cardinals, November 13

Over the last few seasons the Cardinals have started strong but faded down the stretch - is 2022 the year they buck that trend?

Week 11 - Rams at New Orleans Saints, November 20

A rematch of the 2018 NFC Championship, but this time there’s no Drew Brees or Sean Payton. Nevertheless, this game is in November and at the Caesars Superdome so the Saints won’t be an easy out.

Week 12 - Rams at Kansas City Chiefs, November 27

The last time these two teams collided it was fireworks. The Chiefs could have a less explosive offense after trading away Tyreek Hill and with an aging Travis Kelce. This contest will be played in the late-November elements and KC has reloaded on defense.

We could be surprised with a low-scoring matchup in this one.

Week 13 - Rams vs Seattle Seahawks, December 4

The Seahawks could be out of the running by the time they face the Rams for the first time. Who will be under center for Seattle - Drew Lock, Geno Smith, or someone else?

Week 14 - Rams vs Las Vegas Raiders (TNF), December 8

A primetime matchup against the Raiders represents the start of a brutal four-game stretch to close the season.

While the Broncos, Chargers, and Chiefs seem to garner most of the attention in the AFC West, the Raiders aren’t slouches. Derek Carr will come to play and give the Rams all they can handle.

Week 15 - Rams at Green Bay Packers (MNF), December 19

Similar to Kansas City, the Packers are reasonably expected to have less firepower this season. But they still have Aaron Rodgers and he’s still been very good against LA - winning the last two matchups and knocking them out of the playoffs in 2020.

Week 16 - Rams vs Denver Broncos (Christmas Day), December 25

By this point in the season we will know if the Broncos truly were a quarterback away from contention.

Denver Broncos Introduce Quarterback Russell Wilson

With that said, Russell Wilson is 8-12 in his career against the Rams and even in a new uniform he will struggle against Aaron Donald the the Los Angeles defense.

Week 17 - Rams at LA Chargers (SNF), January 1

Fight for LA.

Justin Herbert could realistically be the MVP front-runner in Week 17. This will also be our first matchup against Sean McVay and Brandon Staley - will the offensive or defensive guru have the better day?

Week 18 - Rams at Seattle Seahawks, January 7 or 8

Could this be Pete Carroll’s last game as the Seahawks’ head coach?

If the Rams need to pick up a win in this game, it may be difficult against an emotionally-charged Seattle team that is going to run the ball and control the clock. Can the Seahawks keep the score close and play the role of spoiler against Los Angeles?