Five Must Watch Games on the 49ers’ 2022 Schedule
For the third-consecutive season, the 49ers were scheduled five primetime games.
Nothing will indicate just how attractive and exciting a team is than when they’re given the max amount of scheduled primetime slots. Some of the 49ers’ primetime matchups draw enormous excitement, while others barely move the needle. Not all primetime games are a must watch.
Here are five must watch games on the 49ers’ 2022 schedule.
Week 1 at Bears
Facing the Bears on the road will mark the third time in four seasons that the 49ers open the season on the road. Now, the Bears do not move the needle for excitement. San Francisco should win this game fairly easily. However, what makes this a must-watch game is the fulltime season debut of Trey Lance. There is no other player on the team that draws the most intrigue than he will this season. Everything going into this game will be about how he’ll handle opening up on the road. Will he look good? Average? Bad?
All of the questions and ideas of him are endless. And after training camp and the preseason, all everyone will want is to finally see him unleashed in a regular season game. Getting that first game out of the way will feel like an exhale and a stepping stone toward Lance building himself up. So Week 1 against the Bears has little to do with them and how they match up with the 49ers. It is all strictly about Lance and any new wrinkles he may provide out of the gates.
Week 4 vs. Rams
It never fails that the 49ers and Rams generate a sensational matchup. It’s been that way since 2019 when the 49ers turned the corner into an elite team. With the Rams as defending Super Bowl champions thanks to beating the 49ers in the NFC title game, Monday Night Football in Week 4 at Levi’s stadium makes for a PERFECT matchup. The NFL did a phenomenal job with this one.
Week 4 makes it so both teams can get some momentum going and it’s early enough in the season to build buzz from the last time they faced. The 49ers have dominated the Rams in the regular season. Yet, it is the Rams who got the last laugh as they won it when it counted the most. 49ers and Rams is becoming a rivalry that exceeds that of the 49ers and Seahawks when Jim Harbaugh was the coach.
Week 7 vs. Chiefs
Does this one really need explaining? The 49ers will be facing the Chiefs for the first time since Super Bowl 55 over two years ago. While the two teams will have gone through a chunk of changes, their core players are still the same. This is a game that I would expect Nick Bosa, George Kittle and Jimmie Ward to take extra pride in. They looked to be the most hurt or distraught from the loss. Or at least the ones who used it as a motivational tool to the fullest.
It may just be a midseason game against an opponent that doesn’t have major impact on the playoffs, but I’m sure the 49ers won’t see it that way. What’ll be the most interesting is seeing how the 49ers perform now that they have Lance. Jimmy Garoppolo played a large role in the Niners’ Super Bowl loss, so if Lance factors into a win, then it will feel like the ultimate validation that the 49ers needed a quarterback upgrade. At least, that’ll be the knee-jerk reaction. Either way, both teams should produce a game that pushes all to the edge of our seats given the quality of football they put on display.
Week 10 vs. Chargers
Facing the Chargers in Week 10 will mark the second-half push towards the playoffs for the 49ers. Or at least, that is what the ideal situation will be if the 49ers are more than alive for the playoffs. Either way, Week 10 against the Chargers will be superb. The Chargers going into 2022 look like primed and ready to make the playoffs. They were contending for it until the last game in 2021, so I wouldn’t expect anything less this year.
Justin Herbert should expectedly be lighting it up again, and if Lance is hiting his stride, then this game's excitement will grow exponentially. The 49ers will have their hands full with them with the playoffs growing closer along with this matchup showcasing the Bosa brothers on the same field. Best part of all is that it will be featured on Sunday Night Football, so this game is screaming must watch.
Week 14 vs. Buccaneers
The Buccaneers will be visiting the 49ers at Levi’s stadium for only the second time and first since 2016. It is also coincidentally the last time Tom Brady faced and visited the 49ers. This is exactly why this matchup is one of the five must watch games. Brady against the vaunted Niners defense is going to be magnificent. But above of all else is the hype that will be stacking up toward gameday. 2020 is assuredly going to be revisited regarding the 49ers’ pursuit of Brady.
Not to mention that Brady could use this as revenge. Since the 49ers essentially chose his former backup Jimmy Garoppolo over him in 2020, he could feel slighted and look to take it out on them. That is a storyline that is at least going to be floated around. All of that mixed in with the fact that both teams are high-level and most likely vying for playoff contention late in the season makes for an electric game. A shame the NFL didn’t make it a primetime one. Perhaps they’ll flex it.
