Packers vs Eagles in first-ever NFL Game in Brazil
The Packers and Eagles will face off in the first-ever NFL game in Brazil and also the first-ever Friday night Week 1 game, a 7:15 pm Central Time start.
Both teams made the playoffs last season. The Packers were the #7 seed and defeated the Cowboys 48-32 before falling to the 49ers 24-21. The Eagles were the #5 seed and fell to the Bucs 32-9.
For the Eagles, Jalen Hurts has been to a Super Bowl and is usually in the MVP conversation. He has a new running back in Saquon Barkley and weapons at receiver like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who are always a threat to make big plays down the field. Dallas Goedert is a reliable tight end. If it reaches 4th and 1, you can count on them going for it with Hurts getting the ball. The Packers’ defense will have to stay disciplined and account for everyone on the field. A missed tackle or blown assignment could result in a huge play for the Eagles.
Jordan Love showed a lot last season, leading the Packers into the playoffs and even engineering an upset of the Cowboys. It all resulted in a massive payday this offseason. Now it’s time to really get to work. The Packers also have a new running back in Josh Jacobs. Other than that, their offense looks pretty much the same, except the receivers have at least a year of experience under their belts. Speaking of big plays, the Packers are more than capable of doing that too. Let’s drive the ball down the field and finish drives with touchdowns.
Special teams often make a huge difference in close games. The Packers needed to address their kicking situation, and they brought in Brayden Narveson, who was released by the Tennessee Titans. It will be interesting to see how the teams in this game and around the league adjust to the new kickoff rules.
Two years ago, the Eagles were in the Super Bowl and lost a close game to the Chiefs. For much of last season, they looked like a team that perhaps would make a return trip to the Super Bowl as they started out 10-1, but then the bottom fell out. They only won a single game the rest of the way and looked bad in their losses, including a home loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals and lost the following week to the New York Giants. A porous defense and sloppiness on offense cost the team dearly, cost them the division title, and sent them home early after just one playoff game. They claimed that they addressed the issues during the offseason. They’d better hope so because a poor performance in this Brazil game will bring out the critics and last year’s struggles will be a hot topic.
Last year, it was hard to tell what the Packers would look like as Jordan Love took over the QB1 position and the receivers had little to no NFL experience. There are expectations this year though, especially with Love getting his huge contract. They also have a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Hafley, and it is a welcome sight because this team needed a change of direction on that side of the ball. It’s time to put a defense on the field worthy of Green Bay football.
It’s often exciting being the first to do something, but like many of the players and fans, I am looking forward to them getting the game in and then getting out of there. Political unrest, crime, and wildfires took away from the excitement of playing this game in Brazil. The league office didn’t think this through very well. Hopefully everyone on both teams stays safe and there are no incidents during these few days. Another very annoying part of this game is that it’s on Peacock. There are Packer fans across the country and around the world, and that’s going to make a lot of people very angry.
It is a very unusual start to the season for the Packers due to the day of the week and the location for Game 1. Let’s make the most of it by getting a win. Wherever you may be, hopefully you are able to watch the game and cheer them on to victory and a 1-0 start to the season!
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackersFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901
