Raiders’ 2022 schedule announced
The Raiders will be showcased four times in prime time during the NFL season, but only one of those games will be played at Allegiant Stadium.
But that home game will be one of the most anticipated of the season, pitting first-year Raiders coach Josh McDaniels against his longtime mentor, Bill Belichick, and the Patriots. McDaniels spent 16 seasons coaching under Belichick in New England, including the past eight. The pupil and professor will match wits Dec. 18 on “Sunday Night Football.”
The reunion will include others, too. Raiders owner Mark Davis also hired longtime Patriots personnel executive Dave Ziegler as general manager, and a handful
of Patriots assistant coaches followed McDaniels to Las Vegas.
The Raiders’ other prime-time games will be an AFC West road matchup against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Oct. 10 on “Monday Night Football,” a trip to play the defending Super Bowl champion Rams on Dec. 8 on “Thursday Night Football” and a Christmas Eve game against the Steelers.
The game at Pittsburgh falls on the day after the 50th anniversary of the infamous “Immaculate Reception” play in which Franco Harris and the Steelers beat the Raiders on the final play of a postseason game.
The Raiders will kick off the season on the road against the Chargers on Sept. 11, followed by their home opener against the Cardinals on Sept. 18. The game will feature standout defensive end Chandler Jones, whom the Raiders signed as a free agent this offseason, against his former team.
It’s the beginning of a treacherous first five weeks of the season. In Week 3, the Raiders play at the Titans on Sept. 25, return home to host the Broncos on Oct. 2, then play at Kansas City before their bye week in Week 6.
Among the other highlights of the schedule: A trip to New Orleans on Halloween weekend to play the Saints on Oct. 30 and a visit by the 49ers, the Raiders’ former Bay Area rival, on New Year’s Day.
The home opener against the Cardinals is one of eight home games. As a result of the NFL alternating the extra home game between conferences after moving to a 17-game schedule last season, the AFC will play nine road games this season after getting nine home games in 2021.
After the bye week, the Raiders host the Texans on Oct. 23 before consecutive road games against the Saints and Jaguars (Nov. 6).
Other home games are against the Colts (Nov. 13), the Chargers (Dec. 4) and the season finale against the Chiefs (Jan. 7 or 8). Other road games are against the Broncos (Nov. 20) and the Seahawks (Nov. 27).
The Raiders, who finished second in the AFC West last season, are projected to have the league’s seventh-most difficult schedule.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.
Raiders regular-season schedule
Week 1: Sept. 11, at L.A. Chargers, 1:25 p.m.
Week 2: Sept. 18, vs. Arizona, 1:25 p.m.
Week 3: Sept. 25, at Tennessee, 10 a.m.
Week 4: Oct. 2, vs. Denver, 1:25 p.m.
Week 5: Oct. 10, at Kansas City, 5:15 p.m.
Week 6: Bye week
Week 7: Oct. 23, vs. Houston, 1:05 p.m.
Week 8: Oct 30, at New Orleans, 10 a.m.
Week 9: Nov. 6, at Jacksonville, 10 a.m.
Week 10: Nov. 13, vs. Indianapolis, 1:05 p.m.
Week 11: Nov. 20, at Denver, 1:05 p.m.
Week 12: Nov. 27, at Seattle, 1:05 p.m.
Week 13: Dec. 4, vs. L.A. Chargers, 1:25 p.m.
Week 14: Dec. 8, at L.A. Rams, 5:15 p.m.
Week 15: Dec. 18, vs. Patriots, 5:20 p.m.
Week 16: Dec. 24, at Pittsburgh, 5:15
Week 17: Jan. 1., vs. San Francisco, 1:05 p.m.
Week 18: Jan. 7 or 8, vs. Kansas City, time TBA
