The NFL on Wednesday announced its full five-game International Series schedule for 2022, including the league’s first scheduled matchup in Germany. Ten different teams will travel abroad as part of this year’s series, which is part of the regular-season schedule, including three of the last four NFC clubs to reach the conference championship.
Each of the five international games offers a unique story, but which matchup has the most juice? This is how we would classify them:
Location: London (Wembley Stadium)
Date: October 30 | Weather: 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time | Stream: ESPN+
It will certainly be fun to see Russell Wilson captaining his new team, and Jacksonville should do better under Doug Pederson, with Trevor Lawrence now surrounded by additional help. But this will be the ninth time the Jaguars have performed in London since the NFL began hosting games abroad; their return might be more tempting if they finally adopted London as their new home. There’s a chance this could be more explosive than expected, but there are more promising teams on the board.
Location: London (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
Date: October 9 | Weather: 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time | TELEVISION: NFL Network
On paper, this may sound lopsided, with the Packers in contention mode and the Giants entering the first year of another rebuild. But Aaron Rodgers and Co. will make their London debut, adding a wrinkle to the matchup, while New York is still relatively early in Brian Daboll’s experiment in elevating Daniel Jones under center. Anything can happen overseas, and who’s to say rookie pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux won’t single-handedly threaten to upset A-Rod without Davante Adams?
Location: Mexico City (Aztec Stadium)
Date: November 21 | Weather: 8:15 p.m. ET | TELEVISION: ESPN
This one is in the top three almost exclusively due to its split factor. As Thanksgiving approaches, the Cardinals and 49ers may be fighting for a spot in the NFC West playoffs, where the Rams will defend their Super Bowl title. Will Kyler Murray (happily) remain under center for Arizona? Will Trey Lance have a strong debut in San Francisco? It’s hard to imagine this game developing without drama of some kind. Mexico, fasten your seat belts!
Location: Munich (Allianz Arena)
Date: November 13 | Weather: 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time | TELEVISION: NFL Network
Germany will get its first taste of live NFL action here, so it’s only fitting that Tom Brady be a part of the launch. No matter who Tampa Bay plays this year, all eyes will be on TB12’s “comeback” tour, especially considering Bruce Arians is no longer running the show. The Bucs are still pretty loaded, and with Seattle, at least there’s intrigue: Is Pete Carroll really rolling with Geno Smith or Drew Lock at QB, after Russell Wilson? This seems to be a spirited matchup either way.
Location: London (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
Date: October 2 | Weather: 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time | TELEVISION: NFL Network
While Brady and the Bucs are a bigger draw, this matchup has a more colorful recent history, from the “Minneapolis Miracle” to the Vikings’ 2019 overtime playoff victory in New Orleans. Also, between Kirk Cousins, Jameis Winston, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas, there’s an underappreciated amount of big-play potential here. Both squads are something of a question mark in the NFC, each touting new coaches but talented lineups. Are they really playoff caliber? This should be a solid early test.