There is not sufficient room to checklist the entire storylines for the 2024 regular-season opener, however let’s give it a attempt.
The Eagles are making historical past in Brazil, the NFL’s first sport in South America, and past all of the hype and the Friday night time lights and the entire pomp and circumstance, there’s a soccer sport to win. And the opponent, the Inexperienced Bay Packers, is a respectable Tremendous Bowl-contending workforce with a rising star in Jordan Love at quarterback and a plethora of weapons as his supporting solid.
Recreation 1 is a banger, as the youngsters say.
The groups are settled in, they’ve gotten accustomed to the environment at Enviornment Corinthians, and they are going to be able to go for the weird kickoff time (Friday, 9:15 PM Brazil time/8:15 in Philadelphia). And with that, some storylines so that you can digest …
- Will the Eagles’ offense hit the bottom working (or passing)?
The Eagles did not play their beginning offense within the preseason video games, feeling like that group had loads of high quality reps in follow in opposition to the Eagles’ protection and within the joint follow with New England. So, there may be a variety of “unknown” right here with Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore offering the primary actual glimpse of what this offense goes to be about. The thought is to be a multi-faceted, attack-weaknesses, win-in-a-lot-of-different methods offense and the Eagles definitely seem to have the depth of expertise throughout the offensive board to play that method. It’ll be actually, actually fascinating to see the way it all works out within the opener. Head Coach Nick Sirianni is 3-0 in openers, and the offense carried out nicely in all three of these video games. This sport will not reply each query, after all, however it’ll present some concrete proof of what Moore’s strategy can be this season.
- What does Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio have in retailer for Inexperienced Bay QB Jordan Love?
Inexperienced Bay is loaded on offense. Jordan Love is a rising star at quarterback, his receiving corps – led by Christian Watson – is excellent, and free agent-signee Josh Jacobs is a flexible, game-breaking working again. The Packers have a very good offensive line, a sound scheme, and they need to have one of many prime offenses within the NFL this season.
What does Fangio do to counter the Packers’ energy?
Once more, we simply do not know.
The protection performed nicely within the preseason, and the starters noticed sufficient motion collectively for Fangio to have a style of what he has. However a variety of this within the early season is Fangio studying what his gamers can and can’t do, so anticipate him to proceed to maneuver gamers on and off the sphere. Fangio has mentioned he’ll blitz when the time is true and he won’t when the time is not proper. He does not need to “want” to blitz, which suggests the Eagles need to do a sound job on first and second down after which get after it on third down with a four- and five-man cross rush.
That is going to be really fascinating: An amazing offense in opposition to a rebuilt protection headed by one of many nice defensive minds within the historical past of the NFL.
- Is the NFL’s new kickoff rule going to change the course of the sport?
What did we be taught final night time from the Baltimore at Kansas Metropolis sport? Kansas Metropolis performed keep-away, permitting the Ravens to begin on the 30-yard line after every of the six touchbacks. The Chiefs returned two of Baltimore’s choices, however neither went past the 31-yard line. That could possibly be a preview of what is to return, however, truthfully, it’s arduous to make any statements about what will occur. As Eagles Particular Groups Coordinator Michael Clay mentioned this week, it’s really “unchartered waters.” And that is the reality.