The LA Chargers have had a fantastic offseason thus far and there are still moves to be made both with free agency spending and the 2022 NFL Draft. However, for the most part, the landscape of the NFL in 2022 has been set and we have a good idea of who will be good and who will be bad.
The Chargers have the second-easiest schedule in the AFC West in 2022 and the team is hoping to turn that, with the influx of new talent, into the first playoff berth since 2018. An even better scenario is winning the first AFC West title since 2009.
There are certainly some tough opponents in 2022 but there are some relatively easy ones as well. While we do not know the exact order of the schedule, we can rank who the Chargers play in 2022.
Ranking all 14 Chargers opponents in 2022:
14. Atlanta Falcons
Man, the Atlanta Falcons are going to be a bad football team in 2022. While Matt Ryan was nothing special last season he also was much better than Marcus Mariota (or whatever rookie the Falcons draft, even if I love Malik Willis). Atlanta has the most talent-deprived roster in the league, especially with Calvin Ridley serving a one-year suspension.
Despite finishing with a 7-10 record and actually being in the wild-card picture in January, the Falcons finished the 2021 season with the third-worst DVOA in the league. That is only going to get worse in 2022 and quite frankly, the Falcons should be on the clock with the first overall pick in 2023.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are still not going to be a good football team in 2022 and their schedule is actually tougher than the year before, so they probably will still be among the worst teams in the league. However, in terms of overall talent, they are in a better spot than last season.
There is a case to be made that Jacksonville should rank higher than the 12th team on this list and after the 2022 season, they might. Trevor Lawrence has to be better than his rookie season as he does not have to deal with the dumpster fire that is Urban Meyer as the head coach.
I don't love who they have signed in free agency and while they have given out bad contracts, they have at least added more talent. If they hit a home run in the draft and Lawrence gets better they will rank higher than this at year's end. Either way, the Chargers should beat them.
12. Houston Texans
The Houston Texans were one of the worst teams in the league last season but have added some draft capital by trading Deshaun Watson. Davis Mills seems to be the guy in Houston for now as the team could be drafting a quarterback in 2023 if Mills does not work out.
The Texans are finally going in the right direction as a franchise but they are still one of the most talent-deprived teams in the league. Doing well in the 2022 NFL Draft is extremely important for Houston, especially with the third and 13th overall picks.
Now let's just hope the Chargers don't have to play Houston again late in the season with a COVID-19 outbreak as that was one of the most disappointing regular-season losses in recent team history.
11. Seattle Seahawks
This ranking is under the impression that the Seattle Seahawks will make a move at quarterback, likely starting someone like Baker Mayfield next season. While Mayfield is not a great quarterback, he is better than Geno Smith and will give the team a decent starting option in 2022.
If Seattle starts Smith or turns to a rookie quarterback then they might rank lower on this list. However, the team still has one of the best 1-2 receiving punches in the entire league and if they hit the draft they might not be as bad as some are tabbing them to be.
That being said, they still should be one of the worst teams in the NFC record-wise and should be a team that the Chargers are a touchdown-plus favorite over (with the game being at SoFi Stadium).
10. Miami Dolphins
This is solely a Tua Tagovailoa ranking as the Miami Dolphins have made all the right moves this offseason. They added protection to the offensive line and gave Tua another elite pass-catcher in Tyreek Hill. Hill and Jaylen Waddle can be a game-planning nightmare for defensive coordinators if Mike McDaniel is as much of an offensive genius as he has been touted to be.
With a solid defense, you could make the case that the Dolphins can game-manage Tua to a winning record and a potential playoff berth. However, there is also the very realistic possibility that Tua continues to struggle and he is ultimately what holds the team back.
This ranking is probably the floor for Miami as it is hard to see the team being worse than the options below. The ceiling is probably in the 6-7 range if Tua really figures it out.
9. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers may have made the NFC Championship last season but I am not a believer in Trey Lance. Plus, it would not be the first time that the 49ers have a losing record after making a deep run in the NFL Playoffs.
Jimmy Garoppolo is all but gone in 2022 (maybe he will be the Seahawks quarterback). Jimmy G just had surgery on his throwing shoulder, hurting his trade value in the process. However, he still should be ready to suit up in 2022.
If Jimmy G is the quarterback in 2022 then the 49ers may rank one or two spots higher on this list. However, with the unknown of Lance, it is hard to rank the 49ers any higher than ninth. I still give them credit over the Dolphins since they have the winning track record.
8. Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans finished with the best record in the AFC last season but that does not matter. I have serious doubts about the Titans in 2022 and while they still will be in the playoff hunt in the easy AFC South, there are concerns for the Titans.
First of all, Ryan Tannehill showed his true colors when Derrick Henry was hurt and in a big situation in the playoffs. It is impossible to be fully confident in Tannehill if you are a Titans fan, especially considering the weapons aren't great and the offensive line if getting worse.
That also hurts Derrick Henry, who is at the point in his career as a running back where he will start to regress. It is impossible to predict injuries, but Henry's 2021 injury could be the start of the decline. I no longer expect him to be the top running back in 2022.
7. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts also have questions at the quarterback position as Matt Ryan is getting old and any sort of pressure is going to seriously impact him. Combine that with the fact that the Colts have a really bad receiving corps and the Colts' offense could struggle.
That being said, Jonathan Taylor should now be considered a better running back than Derrick Henry and the defense in Indy is still really good. Ryan is still an improvement over Carson Wentz as he won't make the same bone-headed mistakes that Wentz makes.
It is hard to see the Colts winning a playoff game if they get there but they should be a playoff team. Against the Chargers, the duo of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa should get the job done, assuming the run defense is better as we expect it to be.
6. Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders may have the best passing weapons in the entire league after adding Davante Adams. Luckily, Derek Carr is a good (and not elite) quarterback so they are still beatable. If the Raiders had an elite quarterback then it would be a serious issue.
I really do not think the Raiders' defense is going to have the success that it had last season. Maxx Crosby had a breakout year and that is great, but his pressure numbers on PFF don't reflect his pressure numbers on Pro-Football-Reference, which is interesting. Chandler Jones is also old, can't defend the run and was not any better than Yannick Ngakoue was last season aside from his five-sack game in Week 1.
There are holes in the Raiders' secondary and the offensive line. The passing attack will make every game they play in close, but the defense will ultimately hurt them.
5. Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a very interesting team as it is still unclear if they are well-coached and their regression in the second half of the 2022 season should be concerning. However, at their best, Kyler Murray is still one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league and that always makes the Cardinals a tough team to beat.
That being said, the Cardinals have lost several key players this offseason and have not added much t replace them. The team hasn't been the best in drafting talent in recent years, either, which makes it more likely that they hit a dud in the draft. That being said, their ceiling still puts them at fifth, although they could easily rank much lower.
There is a chance that the Chargers could be playing the Cardinals in Mexico City next season, which would further complicate the outcome. However, on paper, the Bolts are better.
4. Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are still the favorites to win the AFC West but they probably shouldn't be. The Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill and some serious talent on the defensive side of the football. Add in the fact that the Chiefs have the hardest schedule in the league next season and this could be the worst season of Patrick Mahomes' career.
There is the chance that Mahomes and Andy Reid elevate the receivers they brought in to replace Tyreek Hill. However, there is also the chance that an elite receiver cannot be replaced by two average guys, which is typically how the league works. If Travis Kelce continues to regress, that could be a problem.
Both games against the Chiefs will naturally still be close but for the first time in quite some time, the Chargers should be favored over the Chiefs at home.
3. Denver Broncos
With Russell Wilson under center, even though he has not looked the same over the last year and a half and is worse than Patrick Mahomes, the Broncos have a more talented roster than Kansas City. They are deeper with pass-catchers and defensively have more talent.
That being said, the one issue with Denver is a potential lack of depth. They have some of the best blue-chippers in the league but like the Chargers in past years, they lack the depth around those blue-chippers. The Broncos are just 1-2 injuries away from losing a significant chunk of their talent.
If the Broncos have good injury luck and their best players mostly stay healthy then they could win the division, even though we still like the Chargers more.
2. Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns have one of the most well-rounded rosters in the entire league and now have an elite quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Cleveland would have ranked muhc lower on this list if they did not make the Watson trade, which is a shame considering this is the out-of-division opponent and no other team in the AFC west has to play them.
That being said, there is a chance that the Chargers face a much worse version of the Browns and it becomes an easy win for the team. The NFL could still suspend Watson and if the Chargers see the Browns early in the season while Watson is suspended then suddenly this is an easier win against Jacoby Brissett.
If the Chargers play the Browns with Watson then it is a game that the team could absolutely lose, although we still ranked the Chargers ahead of the Browns in our AFC rankings.
1. LA Rams
The defending Super Bowl Champions are the best team that the Chargers play in 2022 and the good thing is that it will be a home game regardless for the Bolts. It actually does count as a home game, so while there could be more Rams fans, the Chargers season ticket holders will get the seats and the presentation will be Charger-friendly.
The Rams continue to add talent with Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner and in a soft NFC, they are the runaway favorites to make the Super Bowl once more. Heck, this could be a potential Super Bowl preview if the Chargers are as good as they should be.