Demand Rankings is Sports Illustrated’s weekly look at the games and sports events that are driving the most demand for tickets across sports, including college football, NFL, NBA, golf, tennis and more. Here’s this week’s list of the most sought-after seats in the NFL.
From huge QB performances to missed field goals and questionable coaching decisions, the NFL returned with a bang last week. It was a wildly entertaining first slate of games that featured plenty of upsets and thrilling finishes, setting the tone for what could be an incredible 2022 season. Here’s a look at some of the biggest matchups and most in-demand seats for Week 2 action this week.
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
1. Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sept. 15, 8:15 p.m. ET
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
Demand Meter: 😍
Justin Herbert vs. Patrick Mahomes? What a way to kick off Week 2.
The star QBs looked like MVP candidates in their season openers, with Mahomes lighting up the Cardinals for 44 points and Herbert putting together an efficient day with 26-of-34 passing in a win over the Raiders. Herbert has had his share of big games against the Chiefs’ secondary in his young career, including torching them for four TD passes in something of a coming-out party early last season.
Watching these two stars face off is the ideal Thursday-night clash, with the average ticket price at just under $400 to be at Arrowhead Stadium, per SI Tickets.
2. Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens, Sept. 18, 1 p.m. ET
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
Demand Meter: 😍
Tua Tagovailoa passed his first test of a critical third season with the Dolphins, managing things well in an impressive 20–7 divisional win over the Patriots in Week 1. Plus, his partnership with offseason acquisition Tyreek Hill looked strong, as Hill posted eight catches for 94 yards in his first action in Miami. Tagovailoa is now tasked with outdueling Lamar Jackson, who led the Ravens to a win over the Jets last week after contract extensions dominated the days leading up to the game.
3. Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills, Sept. 19, 7:15 p.m. ET
Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.
Demand Meter: 😍
The Bills looked every bit the part of a Super Bowl favorite in a season-opening romp of the Rams and now return to Buffalo for their home opener against a Titans team looking for its fourth straight playoff berth. It’s hard to have scripted a better Week 1 than the one the Bills had, moving the ball with ease against the Rams defense and intercepting Matthew Stafford three times. Meanwhile, it was a rather inauspicious opener for the Titans, who blew a 13–0 lead and lost at home to the Giants.
Fans in Buffalo are clearly eager to celebrate the new season. The average ticket price for the game is the second-highest of the week at nearly $600, per SI Tickets.
4. Arizona Cardinals at Las Vegas Raiders, Sept. 18, 4:25 p.m. ET
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Demand Meter: 😍
The Raiders’ season-opening schedule is far from easy, now taking on Kyler Murray and the Cardinals after a Week 1 loss to Herbert’s Chargers. Kyler’s Cards are looking for a bounceback themselves after getting blown out by the Chiefs on their home turf. Avoiding an 0–2 start in two of the most competitive divisions in the NFL feels like a necessity for both teams, so there should be plenty of urgency in this one. Perhaps that’s why this game is such a hot ticket: SI Tickets reports an average price over $700, highest of any Week 2 game.
5. Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles, Sept. 19, 8:30 p.m. ET
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Demand Meter: 😀
There are few better ways for a new Vikings coach to get in the good graces of the Minnesota fan base than by beating the Packers, and that’s exactly what Kevin O’Connell did in his first game leading the Minnesota franchise. The Vikings were sharp on defense and crisp on offense, with Kirk Cousins finding Justin Jefferson nine times on 11 targets for a pair of touchdowns in the opener. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts has a new favorite target in A.J. Brown, who balled out in his first game with the Eagles for 155 yards on 10 catches.
Want to catch these two outstanding QB-WR duos face off in Week 2? Per SI Tickets, the average price for this game is at $473.
6. Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, Sept. 18, 8:20 p.m. ET
Lambeau Field, Green Bay
Demand Meter: 😀
After a rousing Week 1 victory in the pouring rain against the 49ers, Justin Fields heads up to Green Bay to renew one of the NFL’s best rivalries against the Packers. Fields was far from perfect in the opener, but Chicago’s defense forced turnovers and the second-year QB made some big throws late to earn the Bears their first win. Will that strong start continue against Aaron Rodgers? The Packers struggled offensively in the opener with drops as the quarterback adjusts to life without Davante Adams.
While the weather likely won’t resemble a classic winter showdown between these teams, there’s always something special about watching the rivals face off … especially on Sunday night. The average ticket price on SI Tickets is more than $488, fourth-highest in Week 2.
7. New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers, Sept. 18, 1 p.m. ET
Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh
Demand Meter: 😀
The Steelers won perhaps the weirdest game of Week 1, a chaotic last-second OT victory that featured several missed kicks and five Bengals turnovers. Still, starting the season with a road win against a Super Bowl participant is just about the perfect opener for Mike Tomlin’s new-look group. Pittsburgh will go for 2–0 against a Patriots team that struggled offensively in a Week 1 defeat against the Dolphins. The good news for the Pats? Mac Jones appears to be good to go after dealing with back spasms Sunday.
Per SI Tickets, the lowest get-in price is just under $50, while the average price tops $400.
8. Carolina Panthers at New York Giants, Sept. 18, 1 p.m. ET
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Demand Meter: 🙂
The Brian Daboll era in the Big Apple started with a bang, as the Giants turned heads by upsetting the Titans behind a huge day from Saquon Barkley in the backfield. Barkley, the oft-injured explosive running back, tallied nearly 200 yards from scrimmage to will the Giants to victory. And in an NFC East that’s always wide open, perhaps New York could surprise in 2022. Holding serve at home against Baker Mayfield and the Panthers would be a nice step toward doing just that. Giants fans can see Daboll’s MetLife Stadium debut for an average price of $299, per SI Tickets.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, Sept. 18, 1 p.m. ET
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans
Demand Meter: 🙂
One of four matchups this week between 1–0 teams, this NFC South showdown pits Tom Brady’s Bucs against a new-look Saints team that pulled off a remarkable fourth-quarter comeback in Week 1. Tampa Bay’s season-opening victory came in comfortable fashion against the Cowboys, a cruise-control affair that saw Todd Bowles’s defense silence Dallas even before Dak Prescott went down with an injury. Meanwhile, the Saints silenced a rowdy Falcons crowd with 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win the divisional matchup 27–26.
10. Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers, Sept. 18, 4:05 p.m. ET
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
Demand Meter: 🙂
Geno Smith’s first Week 1 start in eight years went according to plan. The new Seahawks starting QB led Seattle to a surprising win over the Broncos for a strong opening to a rebuilding season. Can they follow that up with a win over a division foe? The 49ers need to avoid an 0–2 start under young QB Trey Lance after falling to the Bears in Week 1, but his opening-day struggles could easily be attributed to the dreadful weather in Chicago.
Fans in the Bay Area certainly seem excited to get a full look at Lance, as the lowest ticket price per SI Tickets is a Week 2–high $101.
