The National Football League unveiled its complete schedule for the 2020 season on Thursday, with the Los Angeles Chargers opening the regular season on Sunday, Sept. 13 in Cincinnati against the Bengals. The Bolts will christen their new SoFi Stadium home the following week on Sunday, Sept. 20 against the AFC West-rival Kansas City Chiefs. Los Angeles will also close out the regular season against the Chiefs in Kansas City, marking the first time since 2014 — and just the 13th time in team history — that the season opener and finale are on the road.
In conjunction with the schedule release, the Chargers will hold an exclusive presale of select single-game tickets for Season Ticket Members from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm PT. Public on-sale of select single-game tickets begins at 6:00 pm PT on chargers.com/tickets.
With a record of 33-27 in season openers, the Chargers face off with Cincinnati in an opener for the fourth time. The Bolts are 3-0 in season openers against the Bengals and most recently opened the 2002 campaign in Cincinnati, winning 34-6. Overall, the team owns a 20-14 all-time regular-season record against the Bengals.
Los Angeles will make its regular-season debut at SoFi Stadium in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the sixth home opener in history against the division foe and the second time in three seasons. The Bolts have won nine of the last 16 home games against Kansas City and look to build on their 55 all-time regular-season wins against the Chiefs, the most against any one team.
The Chargers follow up with another home game as the Carolina Panthers become the first NFC opponent Los Angeles will face in SoFi Stadium. Los Angeles last hosted Carolina in September 2008 for the season opener.
In Weeks 4 and 5, the Bolts travel to a pair of NFC South opponents in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints, facing the latter on Monday Night Football. Los Angeles is 8-3 all-time against Tampa Bay, 5-1 in road games and 5-0 against the Buccaneers when scoring 25 or more points. The Chargers own a 7-5 record against the Saints, with the Oct. 12 matchup marking the first between the two teams on a Monday night.
Los Angeles returns home the following week to face off with the New York Jets. Winners of three-straight games against the Jets, the Bolts own a 22-12-1 record in the series. The Chargers posted the series' only shutout in their last home contest against New York in 2015, winning 31-0.
The Bolts head back across the country in Week 7, this time to South Florida, to play the Miami Dolphins for the second time in as many seasons. In the matchup last year, Los Angeles defeated the Dolphins 30-10 — the largest margin of victory in the series since 1993.
The Chargers return to Los Angeles for a pair of home games before the bye week, first playing the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8. The Bolts have won all four home matchups in their series with Jacksonville and have squared off with the Jaguars eight times in the last 10 seasons. A week later, Los Angeles faces the Las Vegas Raiders at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers have defeated the Raiders in 12 of their past 17 home games.
The Bolts return to the road for back-to-back games against the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills after the Week 10 bye. Los Angeles plays in Denver following the bye for the second-straight year. The Chargers are riding a four-game winning streak against Buffalo, including two road games.
Los Angeles then hosts a pair of games against the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons. The Bolts and Pats have split the last four Chargers home games in the series while Los Angeles snapped a six-game skid against Atlanta in their most recent meeting with a 33-30 overtime victory in 2016.
In Week 15, the Bolts head to Las Vegas for the first time to take on the Raiders. It will mark back-to-back seasons with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the teams and the eighth such meeting in history. The Chargers have won two of their last three matchups on Thursday and have an 8-8 record all-time on Thursday nights.
Los Angeles closes out the home schedule by hosting the Denver Broncos in Week 16 on either Saturday, Dec. 26 or Sunday, Dec. 27. The exact date, time and network will be announced after Week 8. The Bolts have a home record of 34-26 against the Broncos, scoring at least 20 points in 10 of the last 14 matchups. Los Angeles has a Saturday-night record of 2-2.
The regular season concludes at Arrowhead Stadium with the Bolts facing the Chiefs on Sunday, Jan. 3. The Chargers look to win at Kansas City for the second time in three seasons. It's the second-straight season that Los Angeles's season finale comes on the road against the Chiefs.
In addition to the 2020 regular-season schedule announcement, the Bolts' preseason opponents have also been finalized. The Chargers again are slated to play four NFC teams, including three from the NFC West. The Bolts open SoFi Stadium in the first week of the preseason against the Dallas Cowboys. Los Angeles owns a 9-7 preseason record against Dallas, winning the last four matchups in the series, including three at home.
In Week 2 of the preseason, the Chargers host the Rams in what will be the 38th preseason meeting between the teams. The Bolts won the last preseason matchup with the Rams at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2017, 21-19, and hold a 19-18 all-time advantage in the preseason.
Los Angeles heads north to face Seattle for the third preseason game. The Bolts have squared off against the Seahawks 17 times in the preseason. The matchup marks the first preseason game between the two to take place in the Pacific Northwest since 2014.
The preseason once again wraps up with a trip to San Francisco to play the 49ers. The Chargers face off with their most frequent preseason opponent for the 34th-consecutive year. Los Angeles has posted 22 wins against the 49ers, the team's most wins against a single preseason opponent, including back-to-back victories over the past two years.
Take a detailed look at who the Bolts will face in the 2020 season!!
SCHEDULE NOTES…
at Cincinnati, Sun., Sept. 13, 1:05 p.m. PT (CBS) — The game will mark the first time that Chargers have played in Cincinnati since 2015. The Chargers are 20-14 against the Bengals, including 9-7 on the road. The Bolts clinched the 2009 AFC West title with a 27-24 Week 15 win over Cincinnati. The teams have split a pair of postseason matchups, most recently a Chargers 27-10 victory in the 2013 AFC Wild Card round.
vs. Kansas City, Sun., Sept. 20, 1:25 p.m. PT (CBS) — The Chargers have won nine of the past 16 home games against the Chiefs, with an all-time regular-season home record of 31-27-1. Los Angeles' 55 regular-season wins against the Chiefs are its most against any team. In 1993, The Chargers hosted an AFC Wild Card matchup against the Chiefs, a 17-0 victory for the Bolts in the only postseason showdown with Kansas City.
vs. Carolina, Sun., Sept. 27, 1:05 p.m. PT (CBS) — Los Angeles hosts the Panthers for just the fourth time in history and first since 2012. In the last matchup, at Carolina in 2016, then-rookie Hunter Henry caught his sixth touchdown of the season, making him the fourth tight end since 1990 to have six receiving scores in the first 12 games of a career.
at Tampa Bay, Sun. Oct. 4, 10:00 a.m. PT (CBS) — With a regular-season record of 8-3 (.727) against the Buccaneers, the Bolts face off against the team they have the best winning percentage against. Los Angeles holds a 5-1 record in Tampa. In the all-time series, the Chargers are 5-0 when scoring 25-plus points.
at New Orleans, Mon., Oct. 12, 5:15 p.m. PT (ESPN) — The Chargers face the Saints for the 13th time in history, boasting a 7-5 all-time advantage. Typically high-scoring affairs, Los Angeles has eclipsed 30 points in three of the last four games. The October matchup is just the third between the teams in New Orleans since 1997. It marks the first-ever matchup between the teams on Monday Night Football and the second prime time contest (Sunday Night Football on Oct. 7, 2012).
vs. New York Jets, Sun., Oct. 18, 1:05 p.m. PT (CBS) — For the first time since 2014, Los Angeles will host the New York Jets. In that Oct. 5, 2014 bout, the Chargers posted the only shutout in series history, a 31-0 win that saw Antonio Gates catch a pair of touchdown passes for the 17th time in his career. The Bolts have an all-time record of 22-12-1 against the Jets, including wins in the last three matchups and five of the last six.
at Miami, Sun., Oct. 25, 10:00 a.m. PT (CBS) — Los Angeles plays in Miami for the second time in as many seasons, the second time the Chargers play in South Florida in back-to-back years, with the only other time being the 2013 and '14 seasons. Last season, Los Angeles won 30-10 in September, the largest margin of victory for the Bolts in Miami and the largest in the series since registering a 25-point home win in 1993.
vs. Jacksonville, Sun., Nov. 1, 1:05 p.m. PT (CBS) — The Week 8 matchup marks the 12th meeting in series history. The Bolts have won eight of the 11 previous matchups, including all four home games, eclipsing 30 points in each contest. Los Angeles won last season's bout in Jacksonville by 35 points behind the 100-yard rushing and 100-yard receiving effort from running back Austin Ekeler.
vs. Las Vegas, Sun., Nov. 8, 1:05 p.m. PT (FOX) — The Chargers have won 12 of the past 17 home contests against the Raiders, scoring 20-plus points in all but five of those matchups. Los Angeles continued that trend in 2018 with a 16-point home win in Week 5. The Chargers' 2,596 all-time regular-season points against the Raiders are the most against any team.
at Denver, Sun., Nov. 22, 1:05 p.m. PT (CBS) — Along with a 14-point Los Angeles victory in the 2018 regular-season finale, the Bolts look to win in Denver for two out of three seasons for the first time since 2013. Eight of the last 10 matchups in the Mile High City have been decided by one score, including four of them by less than seven points.
at Buffalo, Sun., Nov. 29, 10:00 a.m. PT (CBS) — Winners of four-straight games against the Bills, Los Angeles visits Buffalo for the second time in three seasons. Over that four-game streak, the Chargers have picked off 10 Bills pass attempts. The Bolts are 11-5-1 in Buffalo, winning the last matchup in 2018, 31-20.
vs. New England, Sun., Dec. 6, 1:25 p.m. PT (CBS) — The Week 13 matchup will be the Chargers' first home game against New England since 2014. The former AFL foes have split the last four Chargers home games in the series. The Bolts defeated the Patriots for the 1963 AFL title in a 41-point rout that saw running back Keith Lincoln post pro football's lone postseason performance with 200 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards.
vs. Atlanta, Sun., Dec. 13, 1:25 p.m. PT (FOX) — In December, Los Angeles faces off with the Falcons for the 11th time in series history and the seventh time in California. In the most recent matchup in 2016, the Bolts went on the road to defeat the eventual NFC Champions by three points in an overtime affair that saw linebacker Denzel Perryman voted as Castrol Edge Clutch Performer of the Week. Games between the teams have typically been close as seven of the 10 games in series history were decided by one score.
at Las Vegas, Thurs., Dec. 17, 5:20 p.m. PT (FOX/NFL NETWORK/AMAZON) — Los Angeles will play the first game in its history in the state of Nevada, having won 11 of the past 16 games against the Raiders on the road. It's the second-straight year the Bolts matchup with the Raiders on Thursday Night Football and will mark the eighth such game between the teams.
vs. Denver, Sat., Dec. 26 or Sun., Dec. 27, Time TBD (TBD) — The Bolts holds a 34-26 regular-season home record against Denver. Los Angeles beat Denver at home in 2017, 21-0, marking the first time Denver was shutout since 1992. The Chargers have posted 20-plus points in 10 of the past 14 home contests against the Broncos, including three of the last four.
at Kansas City, Sun., Jan. 3, 10:00 a.m. PT (CBS) — The Chargers look to win in Kansas City for the second time in three seasons. Los Angeles' 14-point come-from-behind win in 2018 on Thursday Night Football was the team's largest second-half comeback at Kansas City since overcoming an 18-point deficit in December 2008. Six of the past 10 games at Arrowhead Stadium have been decided by seven or fewer points.
ADDITIONAL SCHEDULE NOTES…
Season Opener Notes — The Bolts open the season on the road against Cincinnati, the fourth time facing the Bengals ever in a season opener. The Chargers boast a 3-0 record in season openers against the Bengals, last winning a road game to open the 2002 season, 34-6. The Chargers have a 33-27 record in season openers, including a 16-18 mark when the season-opening contest is played on the road.
Season Finale Notes — Los Angeles closes the season at Kansas City, marking the 13th season finale against the Chiefs and the sixth to take place in Kansas City. The teams squared off in the season finale last year in Kansas City, where wide receiver Keenan Allen broke the single-season team record for receptions. The Bolts have closed the season on the road 25 times, going 9-16 in those games. Los Angeles has an all-time regular-season finale record of 30-30.
Bye Week Notes — The Chargers have the bye week in Week 10 for the seventh time since the open date was re-instituted into NFL schedules in 1990. It will be the second-straight year, and sixth time in history, that Los Angeles plays against Denver following the bye. Since being re-instituted in 1990, the Chargers have gone 14-16 in games following the bye week.
