Patriots' 2022 opponents include several intriguing NFC matchups originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots are on to the 2021 postseason. But for those planning ahead, they now know who they'll face in 2022.
The Patriots finished the 2021 regular season at 10-7 after falling 33-24 to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. With the regular season complete aside from Sunday night's Los Angeles Chargers-Las Vegas Raiders game, the matchups for the 2022 season are officially set pending the outcome of that contest.
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New England will face each AFC East opponent twice as well as the entire AFC North, the entire NFC North and the second-place finishers in the AFC South and AFC West.
Here's your first look at who the Patriots will play in 2022, and where:
Patriots home matchups
- Buffalo Bills
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
- Baltimore Ravens
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Indianapolis Colts
Patriots away matchups
- Bills
- Dolphins
- Jets
- Arizona Cardinals
- Cleveland Browns
- Green Bay Packers
- Minnesota Vikings
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Las Vegas Raiders OR Los Angeles Chargers
The Patriots got an extra home game this season against the Dallas Cowboys as the NFL expanded the regular season to 17 games, and their "extra" game in 2022 will be on the road against Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.
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In fact, New England has several elite QBs on its schedule, from Murray in Arizona to Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay to Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. They'll also get their first look at Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields (and perhaps a current Patriots assistant at head coach?) in their tour of the NFC North.
That's a pretty intriguing schedule for a Patriots team that will have playoffs on the mind once again in its second season with Mac Jones.
