RENTON, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks' 2022 schedule was released along with the rest of the NFL slate Thursday.

The 2022 NFL season will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 8 with the Buffalo Bills vs. the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. ESPN opens its schedule with a Monday Night Football matchup on Sept. 12 between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos in Russell Wilson's return to Lumen Field.

The NFL expanded to 17 regular-season games last season. The final games of the 2022 regular season will be played Jan. 8, 2023. The playoffs begin Jan. 14 and continue through Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

Here's what in store for the Seahawks:

Schedule

Sept. 12: vs. Denver (MNF)

Sept. 18: at San Francisco

Sept. 25: vs. Atlanta

Oct. 2: at Detroit

Oct. 9: at New Orleans

Oct. 16: vs. Arizona

Oct. 23: at Los Angeles Chargers

Oct. 30: vs. New York Giants

Nov. 6: at Arizona

Nov. 13: vs. Tampa Bay (in Munich, Germany)

Nov. 20: Bye

Nov. 27: vs. Las Vegas

Dec. 4: at L.A. Rams

Dec. 11: vs. Carolina

Dec. 15: vs. San Francisco (TNF)

Dec. 24: at Kansas City

Jan. 1: vs. New York Jets

Jan. 7/8: vs. L.A. Rams

Strength of schedule: 11th, .517

Seahawks | Tickets

Biggest takeaway

It figured that the Seahawks would get fewer prime-time games now that they no longer have a star quarterback, and that is indeed the case. They have just two prime-time games in 2022, and one of them is against Wilson and the Broncos. By comparison, Seattle had either four or five prime-time games on their initial schedules in each of the past nine years, a stretch that began with Wilson's second NFL season. They had five of them (plus a game in London) in 2018, the year after they went 9-7 and missed the playoffs. Why? Because they still had one of the league's most recognizable players. But no more Wilson means less prime-time appeal for the Seahawks in the eyes of NFL schedule makers.

Revenge game

Wilson's return to Seattle to face his former team is such an intriguing storyline that this game always seemed destined for national television. The question was when. The answer: right off the bat. It'll be the first look at Wilson operating a new offense in Denver (which was part of the reason he wanted out of Seattle) and Drew Lock's first chance to show the Seahawks whether he can be Wilson's long-term replacement (assuming he beats out Geno Smith). The Monday night stage will be the ideal backdrop to revisit all of Wilson's history in Seattle -- the unprecedented success as well as the difficult breakup. Speaking of difficult breakups, Bobby Wagner won't get to face the Seahawks until late in the season, with Seattle's games against the Rams set for Weeks 13 and 18. And given the way he's talked about his messy exit, it sounds like Wagner will actually have revenge on his mind.

What Vegas thinks

Oddsmakers put the over/under on Seahawks wins at 6. I'm taking the over, but barely. That might seem overly optimistic for a team with a major question mark at quarterback, but there's enough talent elsewhere on their roster -- and enough weak-looking opponents with iffy QB situations of their own -- to scratch out seven wins. That will require one notable upset ...

Bold prediction

The Seahawks will shock Tom Brady and the Bucs in Munich. Tampa Bay has the GOAT at quarterback and a Super Bowl-caliber roster around him, so expect them to be favored in this game. But the Seahawks showed when they hammered the Raiders in London in 2018 that they can handle the logistical hurdles of an international game. In that regard, Pete Carroll will out-prepare Todd Bowles the same way he out-prepared Jon Gruden.