The NFL’s foreign policy is becoming more and more unique. The NFL confirmed earlier this week that the Green Bay Packers would play their 2024 season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in São Paulo. It will be the first-ever match played in South America by the league. Its scheduling in one of the year’s most anticipated primetime windows demonstrates just how much the NFL has ramped up its global expansion strategy. In recent years, London games have become increasingly common. However, the game is traveling to a whole other continent after being mixed in with games in Mexico City in 2022 and Germany in 2023.
Brazil will be the second country that Green Bay plays in the international series. They eventually made an iconic voyage to London in 2022, having avoided the city for years. They were defeated there, 27–22, by Daniel Jones and the New York Giants. As bad as that sounds, London was the first domino in a chain of events that had Aaron Rodgers’ “Last Dance” out of the ballroom by Wild Card Weekend due to the lingering effects of jet lag and exhaustion that followed. The following four games were losses for the Packers, including the equally notorious thrashing at Lambeau Field by Zach Wilson’s New York Jets, which left Sauce Gardner looking like a burned cheesehead.
Thus, it made sense to be concerned when the Packers kept showing up on every shortlist before the announcement. The team was an obvious pick because of its enormous popularity in Brazil and the growing excitement surrounding its new, youthful core.Of the NFL fans in Brazil, Daire Carragher estimates that 12.5% are Packers supporters.
Despite losing a home game due to their trip to London in 2022, they will still play nine games at home, seven away, and one at a neutral venue where they should have a sizable fan base. The informal ban on the color green by Arena Corinthians, which is associated with their rival soccer team, is a small obstacle, though. They seem to take it very seriously, but criticizing Eagles and Packers supporters for going down there wearing their team’s colors appears to be sending them in the wrong direction. However, this game won’t prevent Green Bay from having a home-field advantage because avoiding Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field is a win in and of itself. The Packers would have ended up there at some point in 2024 if they hadn’t been selected for this game.
Following his return to the United States in 2022, Matt LaFleur constantly blamed the team’s dismal run of play on the lingering effects of his trip to London. He acknowledged that they ought to have used their bye right away, as the league permits clubs to do. After Week 1, it won’t be up for grabs this time. However, there are a few grounds for anticipating a smoother transition. While the two-hour time difference is not as big as the nine-hour time difference in the UK, it will still be a lot of travel. That will be negated by taking an almost direct flight south. Moreover, they will play the game on Friday, which gives them an extra two days of lead time. It seems reasonable to predict that there will be excellent play both during and after Brazil.
There will be excitement at the match on the field. The Packers are ready to move up into the conference’s premier division after pushing the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers to the very edge in the Divisional Round. The Niners are joined by Philadelphia in that group. After being outplayed by the 49ers at home, they collapsed, and Baker Mayfield eventually turned them around to start the postseason. That places them on the periphery of many people’s awareness. However, the conference remains mediocre overall, and the majority of its players will be returning.
Following a disappointing start to 2023, Jordan Love showed he is the real deal, as the team went on an AFC run that was like the Houston Texans’. When Rodgers suffered a rib injury in Philadelphia, Love’s play took a significant turn for the better. In the fourth quarter, he showed off his poise on the road and made several drives down the field, giving the impression that he was a completely different quarterback from the one who had trouble in Kansas City. With room to grow as the young men continue to mature, the offense should be intriguing once again this season.
What will be most intriguing about this clash is how Jeff Hafley’s defense handles an Avengers-caliber threat right away. Joe Barry is no longer with us. In an ideal world, Hafley would be the one to finally capitalize on the annual excitement around an offseason roster full of prominent players and first-round picks.Although Jason Kelce is no longer there, it’s difficult to see things getting any simpler given that Saquon Barkley will be making his backfield debut. The tush push may have been slightly softened by the league, but Philadelphia’s read option will be extremely lethal. The Packers, not to be outdone, will be flaunting Xavier McKinney, whom Howie Roseman also avidly pursued, as their own sparkling new item.
This matchup between the current and upcoming NFC heavyweights is a great way to start the season. Luckily, under far better circumstances this time around, the Packers will get the chance to exorcise the demons from their first overseas excursion.
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