NFL: Opponents, dates set for Arizona Cardinals 2022 season

If the Cardinals are hoping to repeat or improve upon last season’s 11-6 finish, they’re going to have to find a way to navigate through a tricky 2022 schedule that includes facing nine teams that made the playoffs a year ago and eight that won 10 or more games.

The Cardinals do not have any back-to-back home games in consecutive weeks, and they close out the regular season by playing three of their final four games on the road with visits to the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers. Included in that stretch is a difficult matchup at home against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Christmas night.

That’s one of four primetime games the Cardinals will be playing in 2022, which ties for the most in team history (2016). In addition to facing the Bucs in Week 16 on NBC, Arizona also has a Thursday night matchup at home against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7, and two appearances on “Monday Night Football” – Week 11 in Mexico City against the 49ers and Week 14 at home against the New England Patriots.

It’s the first time since 1985 the Cardinals will play multiple games on Monday night.

Arizona opens the season on Sept. 11 with a visit by Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to State Farm Stadium, where the Cardinals are 11-5 in home openers. It marks the 10th time the team will open the season at home since moving to Glendale in 2006. In 18 seasons at Sun Devil Stadium, the Cardinals never played at home in Week 1.

Here’s a closer look at each game on the Cardinals’ schedule, including dates, times and television information:

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WEEK 1

Sunday, Sept.11: Chiefs at Cardinals, 1:25 p.m., CBS

Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph better have his cornerbacks up to speed and ready to make plays because they are sure to be tested by Patrick Mahomes and his arsenal of pass-catching weapons. The good news is, Arizona won’t have to try and defend the “Cheetah” – Tyreek Hill – who was traded away to the Dolphins in exchange for five draft picks.

WEEK 2

Sunday, Sept. 18: Cardinals at Raiders, 1:25 p.m., TV

Which one of the Raiders’ newest superstars acquired during the offseason will be harder for the Cardinals to try and neutralize – pass rusher Chandler Jones or wide receiver Davante Adams? It might be neither. Kyler Murray and Co. better be just as mindful of Las Vegas' terrorizing defensive end, Maxx Crosby.

WEEK 3

Sunday, Sept. 25: Rams at Cardinals, 2:25 p.m., FOX

Will it be redemption or replication for the Cardinals? This will be the first time the NFC West rivals meet since the Rams embarrassed the Cardinals 34-11 in the Wild Card round and it will be interesting to see how Arizona responds against the reigning Super Bowl champions.

WEEK 4

Sunday, Oct. 2: Cardinals at Panthers, 1:05 p.m., FOX

Arizona’s worst loss of the regular season a year ago was a 34-10 beatdown at the hands of the Panthers at State Farm Stadium. It was the most lopsided defeat in terms of the scoring margin. That better be on the Cardinals’ minds when they pay a visit to Bank of America Stadium to face Sam Darnold, rookie Matt Corral, P.J. Waker or Baker Mayfield, whoever ends up being Carolina’s starting QB.

WEEK 5

Sunday, Oct. 9: Eagles at Cardinals, 1:25 p.m., FOX

The Cardinals run into old friend, edge rusher Haason Reddick, get their first look at hulking rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis and it’s a chance for the two standout wide receivers who changed teams during draft-day trades during Round 1, Arizona’s Hollywood Brown and Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown to show who got the better playmaker.

WEEK 6

Sunday, Oct. 16: Cardinals at Seahawks, 1:05 p.m., FOX

Arizona has won six of its past nine trips to Seattle and you can probably pencil it in to improve to seven out of 10. Lumen Field just isn’t the same menacing homefield advantage the Seahawks used to enjoy, particularly against the Cardinals and even more so now that Pete Carroll’s team has lost a lot of its juice.

WEEK 7

Thursday night, Oct. 20: Saints at Cardinals, 5:15 p.m., Prime Video

After serving a six-week suspension to start the year for violating the NFL’s drug policy, Arizona’s top wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, returns to make his season debut. It’s not as if the Cardinals couldn’t use him, either. From 2017 to 2020, the three-time, first-team All Pro led the league with 430 receptions and 5,522 receiving yards.

WEEK 8

Sunday, Oct. 30: Cardinals at Vikings, 10 a.m., FOX

Not only do the Cardinals need to contend with dynamic offensive playmakers in Dalvin Cook and Van Jefferson, but they get to tangle with a couple of former teammates in Angry Birds Patrick Peterson and Jordan Hicks, who would each love to ruffle some feathers.

WEEK 9

Sunday, Nov. 6: Seahawks at Cardinals, 2:05 p.m., FOX

One of the multitudes of ways Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury can prove he was worthy of receiving a contract extension through the 2027 season is by making sure his players take care of business and beat the teams they are supposed to beat. And trust us, the Seahawks are a team the Cardinals should beat, especially on their home turf.

WEEK 10

Sunday, Nov. 13: Cardinals at Rams, 2:25 p.m., FOX

To return to postseason play, the Cardinals likely will need to repeat their 4-2 record within the division or hope to do even better, which means they probably must find a way to at least split the season series with LA. That won’t be easy, especially against a far more relaxed Matthew Stafford slinging the football around now that the pressure is off because he’s finally won a championship ring.

WEEK 11

Monday night, Nov. 21: 49ers at Cardinals, Mexico City, 6:15 p.m., ESPN

The Cardinals became the first NFL team to win a regular-season game outside the United States when the beat the 49ers at Estadio Azteca in 2005 and look who’s back in Mexico 17 years later to square off once again. Did you know that Arizona’s Neil Rackers kicked six field goals in that first game, a 34-14 victory?

WEEK 12

Sunday, Nov. 27: Chargers at Cardinals, 2:05 p.m., CBS

Third-year quarterback Justin Herbert is a preseason betting favorite to lead the NFL in passing yards and that can’t be encouraging news to the Cardinals. More concrete is the fact Arizona also must contend with multiple other dangerous Chargers players, including Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, Derwin James, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler.

WEEK 13

Bye

WEEK 14

Monday night, Dec. 12: Patriots at Cardinals, 6:15 p.m., ESPN

The Cardinals have lost seven of the past eight meetings against the Patriots dating back to 1993 and although that really doesn’t mean a thing as it pertains to this matchup, it’s something to remember. On paper, this would seem to project as a game Arizona should win. The Patriots, though, are coming off a 10-7 season that saw them reach the playoffs and they won’t be pushovers by any stretch.

WEEK 15

Sunday, Dec. 18: Cardinals at Broncos, 2:05 p.m., FOX

The Cardinals might have thought they finally saw the last of quarterback Russell Wilson after having to deal with him twice a year since 2012 with the Seahawks since, but here he is again. In recent years, the Cardinals were able to win more than their fair share of games against Wilson. He’s still a real threat, however. So is Denver’s defense, which held opposing clubs to an average of just 18.9 points per game a year ago.

WEEK 16

Sunday night, Dec. 25: Buccaneers at Cardinals, 6:20 p.m., ESPN

Ah look, it’s a friendly visit by Tom Brady, Todd Bowles and Bruce Arians, although the Cardinals’ former head coach is now a senior football consultant for the Bucs. What could possibly go wrong? Plenty. Tampa Bay remains one of the most dangerous teams in the NFC and if Brady and the offense are still cooking and the defense is still sizzling, it could be Bird City barbeque.

WEEK 17

Sunday, Jan. 1: Cardinals at Falcons, 10 a.m., FOX

If the Cardinals believe themselves to be a playoff team, then they should roll into Mercedes-Benz Stadium and do donuts all over the Falcons at midfield. Funny thing, though. Even good teams will sometimes come up with a stinker and lose to inferior clubs that should throttle. Why do we get the feeling that scenario might apply here?

WEEK 18

Sunday, Jan. 8: Cardinals at 49ers, TBD, TBD

It’s possible that by this point, the Cardinals have either already clinched a playoff spot or been eliminated from the playoff race altogether. If, by chance, they are still hovering around with a chance to reach the postseason and a win here would accomplish that, recent history is on their side. The Cardinals have beaten the 49ers at their place six times in their last seven visits.

Single-game tickets for home games are available now at www.azcardinals.com/tickets and in person starting Monday at the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center in Tempe. Cardinals season-ticket info can be found at www.azcardinals.com/season.

Tickets for the Week 11 Mexico City contest will be available in August; to receive ticket and hospitality info for that game, please visit www.azcardinals.com/intlgame.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL: Arizona Cardinals to face Chiefs in Week 1, Raiders in Week 2