The release of the NFL schedule is just another reminder that the 2022 regular season is just around the corner (full schedule here). While all NFL games are important, several games on the NFL schedule stood out from the rest. specifically, there are several revenge games that will make a lot of headlines in the days leading up to kickoff.
Several scores will be settled on the grid this fall. cowboys coach mike mccarthy will have the opportunity to coach against the packers for the first time since being fired by green bay during the 2018 season. carson goz’s first season in washington will include games against his previous two teams, the eagles and the foals. New Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will also face his old team, the Houston Texans, for the first time this season. The Raiders, half a century after falling victim to Franco Harris’ “immaculate reception,” will seek revenge when they return to Pittsburgh nearly 50 years after their historic playoff loss at the hands of the Steelers.
As compelling as those games are, none of them could crack our list of the top five NFL revenge games for the 2022 season. Let’s take a look at each one as we detail the stakes for both. equipment.
broncos at seahawks: week 1
Russell Wilson’s first game as a Bronco will be against the team he quarterbacked for the last decade. Wilson’s time in Seattle included two Super Bowl appearances, as well as the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. But Wilson’s Seattle career came to an unceremonious end. The Seahawks finished with a 7-10 record in 2021, with Wilson missing three games with injury.
After more than a year of rumors, the Seahawks finally pulled the trigger on a trade that sent Wilson to the Broncos. While Seattle will look to succeed without him, Wilson will look to mimic the success Peyton Manning had after moving to Denver following a Hall of Fame career with the Colts. Wilson will look to tap into the talents of wide receivers Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Jerry Jeudy, along with running backs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon.
This is also a game of revenge for Drew Lock and Noah Fant, who were part of the trade that sent Wilson to Denver. But before he can take on his old teammates, Lock will first have to beat Geno Smith to become Seattle’s new starting quarterback.
foals in jaguars: week 2
It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Colts would clinch a playoff spot heading into the final Sunday of the 2021 regular season. Indianapolis just needed to defeat a 2-14 Jaguars team that had fired their coach earlier in the season .
To everyone’s surprise, the Colts were beaten by Jacksonville and eliminated from playoff contention in the process. Jacksonville’s defense ignited the upset by forcing two turnovers and limiting the Colts’ offense to just 233 yards. The Jaguars’ passing rush, led by Josh Allen, sacked Carson Goz six times as he limited him to just 185 yards through the air. By contrast, Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked just once as he threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in Jacksonville’s 26-11 win.
one of the biggest takeaways from the season’s biggest upset was jonathan taylor’s lack of involvement. Taylor, the league rushing champion, rushed for 77 yards on just 15 carries. I expect Taylor to be more involved in the offense when the Colts return to Jacksonville this fall. The Colts will also be ready to showcase their new quarterback, Matt Ryan, who arrives in Indianapolis after a decorated career at Atlanta.
bosses in buccaneers: week 4
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 31-9 rout of the Tampa Bay Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. The Chiefs, in pursuit of back-to-back Super Bowl titles, failed to adequately protect Patrick Mahomes, who spent most of the night playing bumper cars with the Buccaneers defenders. With Mahomes under constant pressure, the Chiefs became the third team in Super Bowl history not to score a touchdown.
tom brady had no such problems advancing on the bosses defense. Playing in his record-setting 10th Super Bowl, Brady threw for three first-half touchdowns that included two steals from Gronkowski, who has yet to decide if he will play this season. Brady’s success that night earned him a record fifth Super Bowl MVP award.
Both teams remain serious Super Bowl contenders entering the 2022 season. Kansas City revamped its receiving corps this offseason, trading Tyreek Hill to Miami and replacing him with Juju Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the rookie skyy moore. The Buccaneers’ Super Bowl window remained open after Brady ended his retirement after just 40 days.
bills in the bosses: week 6
Throughout history, championship-caliber teams have had to go through a certain team to win a championship. John Madden’s Raiders lost back-to-back AFC title games to the Steelers before finally overcoming Pittsburgh en route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. Two decades later, the 49ers lost back-to-back NFC title games to the Cowboys before defeating them in the 1994 NFC championship. The Bills face a similar mountain now in the form of the Chiefs, the team that has ended its last two seasons in heartbreaking fashion.
buffalo’s 2020 season ended in kansas city one game away from the super bowl. While that game wasn’t terribly close, the Bills fought to force overtime in last year’s divisional round matchup with the Chiefs, just to have Mahomes and company. ending his season shortly after winning the coin toss in overtime.
rams in buccaneers: week 9
Speaking of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers’ title defense ended with Matthew Stafford and the Rams in last year’s divisional round matchup. Los Angeles took a 27-6 lead, only to see Brady lead a furious comeback that was punctuated by Leonard Fournette’s game-tying score with 42 seconds remaining.
Brady’s brilliance was matched by Stafford, whose completions of 20 and 44 yards to Cooper Kupp in the final minute of the game set up Matt Gay’s game-winning field goal as time expired. The Rams then defeated the 49ers and Bengals to win the franchise’s first title since 1999 and the first as a Los Angeles-based team.
Sean Mcvay’s team will now look to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brady’s Patriot squads in 2003-04. The Rams’ title defense got a big boost when three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald decided to return after considering retiring temporarily.