2022 NFL schedule release: Bills opponents, previews, full list of teams on regular-season schedule

The Buffalo Bills were 13 seconds away from reaching the AFC Championship game but had those hopes of a Super Bowl bid dashed by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Looking towards the 2022 season, they’ve continued to build upon arguably the strongest roster in the NFL and in turn are considered to be the betting favorite heading into the year. 

While the oddsmakers may like Buffalo’s chances, they still need to know when these games will be going down. Below, we have a breakdown of every opponent that the Bills will face in 2022 along with a rundown of their 18-week regular-season schedule (once announced):

2022 opponents

Packers: Despite the unprecedented player movement we’ve seen this offseason, Aaron Rodgers has actually remained in Green Bay. However, the NFL’s back-to-back MVP won’t have his go-to receiver in Davante Adams anymore after the Packers traded him to the Raiders in one of the biggest blockbusters of the offseason. Naturally, the offense will look quite different without Adams in the fold, but the Packers should still be looked at as one of the key contenders in the NFC. 

Vikings: Minnesota is under new management this season with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell now running the show. While the brass may look a bit different, the roster is largely the same with Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Dalvin Cook headlining the offense. 

Steelers: Pittsburgh is entering a new era following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. Currently, it’s unclear who’ll be the Week 1 starter with Mitchell Trubisky signed as the seasoned veteran, but the clear future is first-round pick Kenny Pickett. While the offense will look different, T.J. Watt is still lurking off the edge of that defense making them one of the more feared units in the NFL. 

Browns: The biggest change in Cleveland comes at the most important position: quarterback. The Browns pulled the trigger on a massive blockbuster trade that landed them former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, effectively ousting Baker Mayfield despite him still being on the roster to this point. Of course, Watson’s status is still unclear as he may face punishment from the league with his 22 civil lawsuits still hanging over him that allege sexual misconduct. 

Titans: Is it fair to say that Tennessee may be on the verge of a soft rebuild? After becoming the No. 1 seed a year ago, the club traded away star wide receiver A.J. Brown and did draft Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in the third round. While they still have Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry to lead the offense, a down year in Nashville could lead to some big changes for Mike Vrabel’s club.   

Jets: A team that is sneakily on the come-up is the New York Jets. They hit it out of the park at the NFL Draft, taking the likes of Garrett Wilson, “Sauce” Gardner, Jermaine Johnson, and Breece Hall to inject into an offense that already has some up-and-coming players. While they may not be in contention in 2022, if quarterback Zach Wilson takes any sort of leap in Year 2, they could surprise a lot of clubs. 

Patriots: New England will be entering Year 2 of Mac Jones and will be looking for the first-round quarterback to take the next step in his development. This offseason, they have provided him with some new weapons, including receivers DeVante Parker and second-round pick Tyquan Thornton. However, they did lose offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this offseason, which cannot be overlooked. On defense, the departure of J.C. Jackson will also be a hole that Bill Belichick will need to fill in some capacity. 

Dolphins: Miami spent went all-in to surround Tua Tagovailoa this offseason. They added speed in the backfield with the additions of Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, solidified the offensive line by signing tackle Terron Armstead, and made a blockbuster splash to acquire wideout Tyreek Hill. This collection of talent should set Tagovailoa up for success in 2022, especially under an offensively minded head coach in new hire Mike McDaniel. 

Ravens: The Injury bug bit Baltimore hard last season and missed the playoffs because of it. Not only will they be back healthy for 2022, but they also made some key additions to the roster by signing safety Marcus Williams and drafting fellow safety Kyle Hamilton in the first round. Offensively, they did trade Marquise Brown to the Cardinals, but Lamar Jackson still has tight end Mark Andrews as his go-to option in the passing game. 

Bengals: Cincinnati had arguably its best season in franchise history last season after winning the AFC and reaching the Super Bowl. Joe Burrow has established himself as one of the elite young quarterbacks in the league and should only get better after the Bengals addressed arguably its biggest weakness — the offensive line — this offseason. With Burrow better protected, this offense could be among the most prolific in the league. 

Bears: Chicago seems to be in a full rebuild with a new GM and head coach. They traded away Khalil Mack and let Allen Robinson walk in free agency as they appear to be stripping the roster down to fully build around Justin Fields. For them to even sniff contention, the former first-round quarterback would need to take a massive leap

Lions: Their 3-13-1 record may not suggest it, but Detroit was pesky last season under first-year head coach Dan Campbell. After bringing aboard two blue-chip talents in pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson and wideout Jameson Williams in the first round of the draft this year, they could be a tougher out than seen at first glance. 

Chiefs: Kansas City is in the midst of a retooling of sorts. They opted to sign Justin Reid in free agency and move on from Tyrann Mathieu, while also trading away wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins. Despite losing a couple of their most recognizable faces, they still have Patrick Mahomes at the helm and among the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl in 2022. 

Rams: Los Angeles is coming off a Super Bowl-winning season in 2021 and has arguably gotten better. They traded away Robert Woods to the Titans and signed Allen Robinson in free agency. On the defensive side of the ball, they lost Von Miller but injected linebacker Bobby Wagner after he was let go by the Seahawks. With Matthew Stafford heading into his second year in Sean McVay’s system, the Rams should be in the thick of title contention once again. 

Full 2022 schedule