Culver City Observer -

The National Football League has announced the 2021 NFL schedule and the Los Angeles Chargers will open on the road for the second straight season. Below is the 2021 seventeen game regular season schedule for the Chargers:

Sun., Sept. 12 at Washington Football Team 10:00 a.m.

Sun., Sept. 19 Dallas Cowboys 1:25 p.m.

Sun., Sept. 26 at Kansas City Chiefs 10:00 a.m.

Mon., Oct. 4 Las Vegas Raiders 5:15 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 10 Cleveland Browns 1:05 p.m.

Sun., Oct. 17 at Baltimore Ravens 10:00 a.m.

Sun., Oct. 24 BYE

Sun., Oct. 31 New England Patriots 1:05 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 7 at Philadelphia Eagles 1:05 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 14 Minnesota Vikings 1:05 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 21 Pittsburgh Steelers 5:20 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 28 at Denver Broncos 1:05 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 5 at Cincinnati Bengals 10:00 a.m.

Sun., Dec. 12 New York Giants 1:05 p.m.

Thurs., Dec. 16 Kansas City Chiefs 5:20 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 26 at Houston Texans 10:00 a.m.

Sun., Jan. 2 Denver Broncos 1:05 p.m.

Sun., Jan. 9 at Las Vegas Raiders 1:25 p.m.

With the NFL's expansion to a 17-game schedule, the Chargers will play 9 of 17 seventeen games at home this season at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. All AFC teams will get 9 home games this season and next season, all AFC teams will get 8 homes games. The regular season will expand to 18 weeks with the bye that each team gets.

The expansion to 17 regular season games will reduce the total number of preseason games to three per team. The Chargers play one preseason game this season at home, against the San Francisco 49ers. The two preseason road games are at Seattle against the Seahawks and a road game at SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams.

For the opening game, the Chargers will travel to FedExField in Landover, Maryland to take on the Washington Football Team. The WFT is coming off a 7-9 season in 2020, which fortunately for them was good enough to win the NFC East Division. The WFT had the No. 2 ranked defense in the NFL in 2020, second only to the Rams.

The WFT is the only team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to use a first round pick in four straight drafts on a defensive lineman. With the selection of linebacker Jamin Davis of Kentucky in the first round, the WFT has a very strong front seven that will be a challenge for the Chargers offensive line. Fortunately for the Chargers, the WFT offense is not as potent as the defense.

The Dallas Cowboys will visit SoFi Stadium in week 2 to take on the Chargers. Unlike the WFT, the Cowboys bring a potent offense led by quarterback Dak Prescott. Fortunately for the Chargers, the Cowboys were 31st in rushing defense in 2020, allowing 158.8 yards per game and 30th in yards per carry average at 5.0.

The Chargers first two games against the WFT and the Cowboys could set the tone for the season. A 2-0 start would set the Chargers up well for their Week 3 road matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won back-to-back AFC conference titles and five consecutive AFC West Division titles.

After the week 3 matchup with the Chiefs in Kansas City, the Chargers will play three of their next four games at home against AFC opponents. They take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4 in a Monday Night game at SoFi Stadium, and six days later the Cleveland Browns will make a Week 5 visit to SoFi Stadium. The Chargers then go on the road for a Week 6 matchup at Baltimore against the Ravens and then come home for a Week 7 matchup versus the New England Patriots.

The first seven weeks will be huge for the Chargers and their new head coach, Brandon Staley. This is the fifth season for the Chargers in Los Angeles, and they have yet to have really win over the Southern California football fanbase. With a talented young quarterback in Justin Herbert, a bright young head in Staley, and a beautiful new stadium SoFi Stadium, it is all there for the Chargers if they can get off to a fast start. In Southern California, you need to have success on the field to win over football fans.

The Chiefs have won five consecutive division titles by starting 5-2 or 6-1 in each season. The Chargers in 2020 were 1-6 after seven games. The Chiefs are strong favorites to win a sixth consecutive division title. Winning the division assures a team of at least one home game in the playoffs and in the last three seasons, the Chiefs have had homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

The Chargers have been awarded with three prime-time night games at home this season. The first against their hated rivals, the Raiders, will be on Monday Night, October 4th. The second prime time night game at home will come on Week 11 on Sunday Night, November 21st against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The third prime time night game at home will be played in Week 15, December 16th on Thursday Night against the Chiefs.

This will be the third time in four seasons that the Chargers have faced the Steelers on Sunday Night football. In 2018, the Chargers came from 16 points down at halftime to defeat the Steelers, 33-30 in Pittsburgh. In 2019, the Chargers lost to the Steelers at home (Dignity Health Sports Park), 24-17. In that game, the Steeler fans took over the stadium and gave the Steelers a distinct home-field advantage. That hopefully will never happen at SoFi Stadium.

Just in case the Chargers need an extra incentive for a Super Bowl run, Super Bowl LVI will be the 56th Super Bowl and will be played at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, February 13th, and will be televised on NBC. It would be even more entertaining if the Chargers are playing the Rams in the Big Game. But first, the Chargers need to get through a challenging regular season schedule.