The occasion is simply starting in Los Angeles after the Rams had been capable of defeat the Bengals to win Tremendous Bowl LVI, however it’s by no means too early to keep watch over the season to come back. With the Rams serving because the reigning champs, they’ll observe within the custom of kicking off the 2022 common season later this September. In fact, that sport might be headlined by the disclosing of a brand new Tremendous Bowl banner as L.A. basks within the glory of this newest title run earlier than going into the brand new season to attempt to repeat.
Naturally, that sport carries with it a ton of consideration and the NFL sometimes tries to fit in a marquee opponent so as to add to the opener. Subsequent yr, the Rams are set to host the Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, Falcons, Payments, Panthers, Cowboys, Broncos, and Raiders, so it will be a type of golf equipment that’ll assist us kick off the 2022 season. Beneath, we’ll spotlight what we consider could be the very best opponent to throw into this primetime affair.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are all the time going to be a preferred choose on this situation if they’re an choice. The truth is, they had been the selection final yr when the Tremendous Bowl champion Buccaneers kicked off the 2021 common season at Raymond James Stadium. Not solely does Dallas deliver with it the largest model in the entire NFL, however they’re additionally a playoff staff that might make this opener an excellent sport with rapid playoff implications. The Cowboys had been the No. 3 seed within the playoffs this yr after a 12-5 common season marketing campaign and have loads of stars starting from Dak Prescott to Micah Parsons. Once more, you’ll be able to’t go improper firing up a brand new season with the defending Tremendous Bowl champs and probably the most recognizable staff within the sport.
2. San Francisco 49ers
I am a fan of rapid playoff rematches, particularly when it is between rivals. In that spirit, a rematch of the NFC Championship sport between the Rams and 49ers to start the 2022 season could be one heck of a solution to begin the yr. Los Angeles needed to rally from a double-digit deficit within the fourth quarter to beat the Niners and advance to the Tremendous Bowl within the convention title sport, so the injuries are nonetheless fairly recent from that 20-17 win.
The rivalry between Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan could be a most important storyline heading into this sport, as would the debut of Trey Lance as San Francisco’s Week 1 starter as long as the membership strikes off of Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason. On prime of presumably seeing Lance ascend to QB1, the Niners even have loads of star energy headlined by Deebo Samuel and George Kittle.
The one motive why this matchup might not occur, nonetheless, is because of the NFL not desirous to roll with divisional video games out of the gate and as a substitute save these for later within the season as playoff positioning turns into a bit extra clear. Nonetheless, that is an iconic franchise in a significant market that has loads of latest historical past in opposition to these Rams, which can be arduous for the league to show away from.
3. Buffalo Payments
Had just some issues fallen in a different way this postseason, we might have been a Rams-Payments Tremendous Bowl on Sunday. Buffalo is a worthy candidate to be the visiting staff within the 2022 opener as they’re arguably the hardest opponent they will face subsequent season. They at the moment have the second-best odds of profitable Tremendous Bowl LVII, which is one spot above the Rams, and boast an MVP caliber quarterback in Josh Allen to present much more juice to this head-to-head with Matthew Stafford.
What might have the NFL lean on this route is the truth that Buffalo performs within the AFC. You’d nonetheless get an opener that features a nice quarterback matchup between two playoff groups from a yr in the past, however you’d additionally be capable to save Los Angeles’ marquee matchups in opposition to a few of these notable NFC squads for later within the yr after they might carry extra weight.
4. Las Vegas Raiders
There’s undoubtedly a tier drop after these prime three potential Week 1 opponents, however the Las Vegas Raiders might show to be an fascinating matchup for the league as effectively. Las Vegas goes into the 2022 season below new management and Josh McDaniels making his debut will surely be a pleasant added layer for this opener. In the identical vein because the Payments, by choosing the Raiders, the NFL would save the Rams’ NFC matchups for later within the yr for future primetime slots and will even do the identical with Buffalo, who’s more likely to be within the playoff image in the direction of the tip of the yr than Vegas.
5. Denver Broncos
The Broncos make this last spot on this checklist solely as a result of we’re leaving room for Denver to make a significant splash on the quarterback place this offseason. If they’ll purchase any one of many elite quarterbacks that could be on the commerce block — Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, and so forth. — it might be a improbable transfer by the NFL to allow us to see that signal-caller along with his new staff proper out of the gate and in opposition to the defending Tremendous Bowl champions. In spite of everything, there could possibly be many parallels drawn between that quarterback on the Broncos and what Matthew Stafford was capable of accomplish in his first season with L.A. in 2021.
