Cleveland Browns announce 2022 schedule
The Browns will host at least two primetime games and end the year against three divisional opponents in their last five games
By Anthony Poisal, ClevelandBrowns.com Staff Writer
The Browns are set to host at least two primetime games against divisional rivals — one on Halloween night and another in a Thursday Night contest — to highlight some of their biggest games of their 2022 regular season schedule.
The NFL announced its complete schedule Thursday for the 2022 regular season. The Browns will open the year on the road against the Panthers before returning to Cleveland for a home-opener against the Jets and a Thursday night showdown against the Steelers for their first AFC North game of the year four days later.
“It’s always an exciting day when you get the schedule,” coach Kevin Stefanski said. “For months, we’ve known who were playing and where, but to see how it unfolds, where our bye week is and where our division opponents are is fun for our coaches. That first opponent is something you look at so you can start to work on their coordinators, understand what they’ve done and try and get a head start on that game.”
The Week 1 matchup in Charlotte against the Panthers, slated for 1 p.m. on CBS, will mark the first time the Browns have ever opened a season against the Panthers and will be their third consecutive year in which they’ve started on the road. The Browns will then hold their home opener in Week 2 before they take the primetime stage against the Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium in Week 3. Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
The Browns are 7-2 all-time at home on Thursday night, including winning each of their last six home Thursday night contests. Overall, the Browns have won their past four Thursday night games.
The Browns will then play four consecutive games in the Sunday 1 p.m. kickoff slot against the Falcons (away), Chargers (home), Patriots (home) and Ravens (away) before they host another primetime game against the Bengals for a Halloween edition of Monday Night Football. This will mark just the third meeting all-time between the Browns and Bengals on Monday night, with the most recent coming on Oct. 22, 1990, and will be the second of two primetime home games the Browns are set to host against a divisional opponent in 2022.
“Our players love to play under the lights, and I know our fans love to be loud under the lights,” Stefanski said. “To get the Steelers on Thursday Night Football and then get the Bengals on Monday Night Football, I know those will be unbelievable atmospheres to watch a ballgame.”
Cleveland has its bye placed in the middle of the schedule in Week 9. The mid-year bye will be opportune for the Browns as they rest, regroup and prepare for their final nine games.
“You always like having the bye week smack in the middle,” Stefanski said. “We’ll play eight games, then take a break and play nine games. I think there’s benefits to having it in the middle of the season.”
The Browns will host eight total games at FirstEnergy Stadium in 2022, including a Week 12 battle between QB Tom Brady and the Buccaneers that comes after a two-game road stretch against the Dolphins (Week 10) and Bills (Week 11) following the bye week. Kickoff for each of those games is set for 1 p.m.
Cleveland will also play three divisional games in its last five contests, starting with a Week 14 trip to Cincinnati and followed by a Week 15 home matchup against Baltimore. The Browns will then host the Saints for a Christmas Eve showdown in Week 16 before hitting the road for their final games against the Commanders and Steelers, the 10th time they’ve finished a season against Pittsburgh in the past 15 seasons and first time they will end the year with consecutive road games since 2017.
The Browns could receive at least two more primetime games in their schedule — the league hasn’t yet determined kickoff times for the Browns’ Week 15 game against the Ravens and Week 18 game against the Steelers.
In Week 15, three of five designated matchups will be played on Saturday with the remainder to be played on Sunday. Specific dates and start times for the designated Week 15 matchups will be determined and announced at a later date during the season.
In Week 18, two games will be played on Saturday (4:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.) with the remainder to be played on Sunday afternoon (1:00 p.m. and 4:25 p.m.) and one matchup to be played on Sunday night (8:20 p.m.) Specific dates, start times, and networks for Week 18 matchups will be determined and announced following the conclusion of Week 17.
All other Browns games, with the exception of the Week 3 and Week 8 primetime games, are set for 1 p.m.
The Browns’ three-game preseason schedule was also announced Thursday. It begins with a trip to Jacksonville — the second consecutive road preseason start against the Jaguars — and ends with home games against the Eagles and Bears. The Eagles will be in Cleveland in the days preceding their preseason matchup for joint workouts.
2022 Cleveland Browns Schedule
PRESEASON
Week 1 – Aug. 12 (Fri) – at Jacksonville Jaguars – 7:00 p.m./News 5 Cleveland
Week 2 – Aug. 21 – Philadelphia Eagles – 1:00 p.m./News 5 Cleveland
Week 3 – Aug. 27 (Sat) – Chicago Bears – 7:00 p.m./ News 5 Cleveland
REGULAR SEASON
Week 1: Sept. 11 – at Carolina Panthers – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 2: Sept. 18 – New York Jets – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 3: Sept. 22 (Thu) – Pittsburgh Steelers – 8:15 p.m./Prime Video
Week 4: Oct. 2 – at Atlanta Falcons – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 5: Oct. 9 – Los Angeles Chargers – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 6: Oct. 16 – New England Patriots – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 7: Oct. 23 – at Baltimore Ravens – 1:00 p.m./ CBS
Week 8: Oct. 31 (Mon) – Cincinnati Bengals – 8:15 p.m./ESPN
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Nov. 13 – at Miami Dolphins – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 11: Nov. 20 – at Buffalo Bills – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 12: Nov. 27 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 1:00 p.m./FOX
Week 13: Dec. 4 – at Houston Texans – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 14: Dec. 11 – at Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 15: Dec. 17 or 18 – Baltimore Ravens – TBD/TBD
Week 16: Dec. 24 (Sat) – New Orleans Saints – 1:00 p.m./CBS
Week 17: Jan. 1 – at Washington Commanders – 1:00 p.m./FOX
Week 18: Jan 7 or 8 – at Pittsburgh Steelers – TBD/TBD
Sunday night games in Weeks 5-15 and Week 17 subject to change; Week 18 TBD