Chargers to play host to Raiders in opener; face Rams on New Year’s Day

The Los Angeles Chargers will open the 2022 season on Sept. 11 playing host to the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium in a rematch of their final game of the 2021 season.

The Chargers scored 15 points in the final four minutes, 28 seconds to tie the score and force overtime, retied the score on a field goal with 4:30 left in overtime, but lost on Daniel Carlson’s 47-yard field goal as time expired in overtime in a game both teams would have advanced to the playoffs with a tie.

The 35-32 loss on Jan. 9 ended the Chargers’ hopes of making the playoffs.

The Chargers’ 17-game schedule unveiled Thursday also includes a New Year’s Day “Sunday Night Football” game against the Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, with the Chargers designated as the home team.

Because New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday in 2023, there will be no conflict with the Rose Bowl Game, which will be played on Jan. 2 because of its “Never on Sunday” rule.

The Chargers will play four other prime-time games, beginning Sept. 15 when they play at Kansas City in a `Thursday Night Football” game that will be streamed on Amazon Prime Video and also shown by a Los Angeles television station to continue fulfilling the NFL’s policy in showing all of a team’s games on broadcast television in its market.

The Chargers will also play on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” Nov. 13 in a road game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Chargers will play “Monday Night Football” games on ESPN against the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium Oct. 17 and at Indianapolis against the Colts on Dec. 26.

The Chargers’ other home games will be on Sept. 25 against the Jacksonville Jaguars; Oct. 23 against the Seattle Seahawks; Nov. 20 against the Kansas City Chiefs; Dec. 11 against the Miami Dolphins; and Dec. 18 against the Tennessee Titans.

The Chargers’ other road games will be on Oct. 2 against the Houston Texans; Oct. 9 against the Cleveland Browns; Nov. 6 against the Atlanta Falcons; Nov. 27 against the Arizona Cardinals; Dec. 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders; and Jan. 7 or 8 against  Denver.

Several games had been announced earlier, including the Sept. 15 game between the Chargers and Kansas City.

The NFL’s schedule is based on a formula assuring that a team will face each of the 31 other teams at least once over four years.

Each team plays home and road games against each of the other three teams in its division, one game each against all the teams in one division in its conference and one in the other conference, the remaining teams in its conference that finished in the same position in the standings as it did and a team from a designated division in the other conference that finished in the same position it did.

The Chargers will open their three-game preseason schedule by facing the Rams Aug. 13 with the Chargers also designated as the home team.

The Chargers will play host to the Dallas Cowboys Aug. 20 in their other home preseason game. The Chargers will conclude the preseason by playing the Saints at New Orleans. The date for the game will be announced later.

Here is the Chargers’ 2022 regular-season schedule:

Sept. 11: Las Vegas

Sept. 15: at Kansas City

Sept. 25: Jacksonville

Oct. 2: at Houston

Oct. 9: at Cleveland

Oct. 17: Denver

Oct. 23: Seattle

Nov. 6: at Atlanta

Nov. 13: at San Francisco

Nov. 20: Kansas City

Nov. 27: at Arizona

Dec. 4: at Las Vegas

Dec. 11: Miami

Dec. 18: Tennessee

Dec. 26: at Indianapolis

Jan. 1: Los Angeles Rams

Jan. 7/8: at Denver