EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The NFL season is just around the corner, and the Rams and Chargers finally get the chance to play in front of their fans at the brand new SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Here's a breakdown of each team's marquee matchups and the 18-week slate.

Buccaneers: Week 3

The Rams invite Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champs into SoFi early in the season. LA is hoping to be 2-0 heading into this one as they will have just faced two clubs who are rebuilding, the Bears and Colts. The last thing the Rams want to do is drop a game at home before taking on two division foes, Arizona and Seattle, and possibly find themselves fledgling around the .500 mark to start the season.

LA has actually been quite successful when facing the Buccaneers, boasting a 17-9 record all-time against them. The same cannot be said about facing Tom Brady. Brady has beaten the Rams five times in a row, including in two Super Bowls. LA’s head coach Sean McVay couldn’t even get his driver’s license the last and only time the Rams defeated Brady.

If the Rams want to show they can truly contend this year, then they will need to, at the very least, hang with Brady and the Bucs.

Seahawks: Weeks 5 & 15

It just feels like the NFC West will once again go through Seattle. And you better believe that the Seahawks have circled week 5 on their calendar after dropping a home playoff game to LA last season.

It’s simple, if you want to win the NFC West, then you better play well within it.

Recently the Rams have played their division rival very well, winning five of the last seven, including that impressive 30-20 win on the road in the wild card playoffs last season.

But the NFL schedulers weren't kind to LA this season as they play Seattle twice in short weeks. Like it wasn't already tough enough.

LA should expect to win week 15 at home as they have been lights out against Seattle on their home turf, winning three in a row and six of the last seven. But if the Rams can steal one on the road early in the season, it will show they aren’t going anywhere and put them in the NFC West driver’s seat.

Packers: Week 12

Who doesn’t love playing on the road in Green Bay after Thanksgiving? The Rams, that’s who.

Since 1982 LA is just 3-15 in the frozen tundra, including last year’s 32-18 division playoff defeat.

Newly acquired quarterback Matt Stafford, who spent 12 seasons battling the Packers in the NFC North, hasn’t fared much better, going 7-13 all-time.

There isn’t a more important non-division game for the Rams this season. Yes, it’s just one game, but if the Rams lose week 12 to the Packers, then they could be setting themselves up for a tough last month and a half when they have to play each of their division rivals one more time and travel Baltimore, who finished 11-5 and made it to the divisional round last season.

• Week 1, Sept. 12: Chicago Bears | 5:20 p.m. | NBC
• Week 2, Sept. 19: at Indianapolis Colts | 10:00 a.m. | FOX
• Week 3, Sept. 26: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1:25 p.m. | FOX
• Week 4, Oct. 3: Arizona Cardinals | 1:05 p.m. | FOX
• Week 5, Oct. 7: at Seattle Seahawks (Thu) | 5:20 p.m. | FOX/NFL Network/Amazon
• Week 6, Oct. 17: at New York Giants | 10:00 a.m. | FOX
• Week 7, Oct. 24: Detroit Lions | 1:05 p.m. | FOX
• Week 8, Oct. 31: at Houston Texans | 10:00 a.m. | FOX
• Week 9, Nov. 7: Tennessee Titans | 5:20 p.m. | NBC
• Week 10, Nov. 15: at San Francisco 49ers (Mon) | 5:15 p.m. | ESPN
• Week 11: BYE
• Week 12, Nov. 28: at Green Bay Packers | 1:25 p.m. | FOX
• Week 13, Dec. 5: Jacksonville Jaguars | 1:25 p.m. | CBS
• Week 14, Dec. 13: at Arizona Cardinals (Mon) | 5:15 p.m. | ESPN
• Week 15, Dec. 19: Seattle Seahawks | 1:25 p.m. | FOX
• Week 16, Dec. 26: at Minnesota Vikings | 10:00 a.m. | FOX
• Week 17, Jan. 2: at Baltimore Ravens | 1:25 p.m. | FOX
• Week 18: Jan. 9: San Francisco 49ers | 1:25 p.m. | FOX

And for all of you uniform people, you can find when the Rams are wearing their brand new throwback inspired uniforms here.

Cowboys: Week 2

The Chargers would love nothing more than to open up the season on the road with a week 1 win against Washington, then come home and beat another NFC East team in the Cowboys before they play three of their next four against 2020 playoff teams.

Easier said than done.

LA hasn’t had a winning record in their first three games to open a season since 2014, which is a recipe for mediocrity.

What could fix that? A win in your first regular season home game against one of the most storied franchises in NFL history in front of fans at SoFi Stadium, a place where most pundits believe you are just renting space to where the beloved Rams lay their head down.

Chiefs: Weeks 3 & 15

The Chargers beating the Chiefs, who came within one win of being back-to-back Super Bowl champions last year, might be a tall order. But if LA wants to take the next step and win their first division title in 12 years, then they will most likely have to defeat them once.

Beating a division rival is hard, no matter if they are a cellar-dweller or a 5-time defending AFC West champion like the Chiefs. Defeating them twice? Almost impossible.

LA hasn’t defeated the Chiefs twice in the same season since 2013 and has struggled mightily overall in the last decade, going 2-12 since 2014.

The NFL scheduled week 15’s matchup on a Thursday, giving the Chargers just four days’ rest before facing the Chiefs at SoFi.

So then, how do they beat the Chiefs? They score points. Lots of them.

The Chargers need to replicate what they did in week 17 last year in their 38-21 victory at Arrowhead. Although the Chiefs were without All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes in that game, he doesn’t play defense. LA scored 38 points behind 302 yards and 3 touchdowns from rookie quarterback Justin Herbert.

If the Chargers can replicate that performance one more time this year, then they can split the season series.

Raiders: Weeks 4 & 18

The Chargers and Raiders finished second and third in the division last year, and these two former in-state rivals want to make the leap to the #1 spot.

LA hasn’t won the division since 2009, but it’s been even longer for Las Vegas, who have been waiting since 2002 to win it again.

Each won on their respective teams’ home turf last season, so there will be some level of revenge heading into this year, but this rivalry really doesn’t need any fuel.

And if you needed more parity, each team has finished 9-7 or worse, 10 of the last 11 seasons. So, to say the least, they are both sick and tired of swimming in mediocrity.

If there is one silver lining, it’s that the Chargers have had some recent success against the Raiders, beating them twice in 2017 and 2018 and splitting the season series last year.

Defeating the Raiders twice this season would go a long way. And if all the cards fall right, week 18 could be a massive matchup with playoff implications.

• Week 1, Sept. 12: at Washington Football Team | 10:00 a.m.| CBS
• Week 2, Sept. 19: Dallas Cowboys | 1:25 p.m. | CBS
• Week 3, Sept. 26: at Kansas City Chiefs | 10:00 a.m. | CBS
• Week 4, Oct. 4: Las Vegas Raiders (Mon) | 5:15 p.m. | ESPN
• Week 5, Oct. 10: Cleveland Browns | 1:05 p.m. | CBS
• Week 6, Oct 17: at Baltimore Ravens | 10:00 a.m. | CBS
• Week 7: BYE
• Week 8, Oct. 31: New England Patriots | 1:05 p.m. | CBS
• Week 9, Nov. 7: at Philadelphia Eagles | 1:05 p.m. | CBS
• Week 10, Nov. 14: Minnesota Vikings | 1:05 p.m. | FOX
• Week 11, Nov. 21: Pittsburgh Steelers | 5:20 p.m. | NBC
• Week 12, Nov. 28: at Denver Broncos | 1:05 p.m. | CBS
• Week 13, Dec. 5: at Cincinnati Bengals | 10:00 a.m. | FOX
• Week 14, Dec. 12: New York Giants | 1:05 p.m. | FOX
• Week 15, Dec: 16: Kansas City Chiefs (Thu) | 5:20 p.m. | FOX/NFL Network/Amazon
• Week 16, Dec: 26: at Houston Texans | 10:00 a.m. | CBS
• Week 17, Jan. 2: Denver Broncos | 1:05 p.m. | CBS
• Week 18, Jan. 9: at Las Vegas Raiders | 1:25 p.m. | CBS

Statistics provided by footballdb.com, pro-football-reference.com, therams.com and chargers.com