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Sport in Seriousness
Whether on a calendar or on a map, the NFL is constantly expanding its sphere of influence.
Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ thrilling season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, the league will play its first regular-season game in Brazil on Friday when the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Green Bay Packers. The game will be a rarity not only for its international flavor, but also for its timing, as it will be only the 13th game played on that weekday since 1970. Aside from the unique lineup, there should be no shortage of headlines on the field, as the matchup features two NFC greats as well as star quarterbacks like Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.
USA TODAY Sports will have updates on the game throughout the evening, so check back here for more:
Because Brazil is in the southern hemisphere, it’s technically still winter, with spring flowers blooming later this month. But conditions for kickoff tonight should be mild: cloudy, around 21 degrees with light winds and a small chance of rain, although it will be fairly humid.
The green color has long been associated with Philadelphia’s color palette. But the Eagles, technically the home team tonight in Brazil, opted for a new uniform combination that includes black helmets and pants and a white jersey…instead of the midnight green and kelly green long associated with the franchise.
Why?
Brazilian football club Corinthians, which primarily occupies the stadium, frowns upon green as it is the main colour of arch-rivals Palmeiras, so the Eagles opt for black, while their opponents, the Packers, are forced to wear their green home kits, which is considered objectionable in these parts.
- Packer: WR Malik Heath, 32 RB MarShawn Lloyd, DL Arron Mosby, DL Brenton Cox Jr., OT Kadeem Telfort, OT Travis Glover
- Eagle: QB Tanner McKee, CB Isaiah Rodgers, LB Devin White, OLB Jalytx Hunt, G/T Darrian Kinnard, G Trevor Keegan, DT Byron Young
The Packers’ running back could be worth a look, as Green Bay could be thin in the backfield behind starter RB Josh Jacobs. Lloyd, the third-round pick out of USC, should be the primary backup after AJ Dillon was placed on the injured list with a season-ending injury. Now the Packers may have to rely on Emanuel Wilson, a second-year running back who rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries last year as a rookie and draft free agent.
SÃO PAULO, Brazil – The Eagles held a press conference for Brazilian media on Thursday, featuring some of their key players such as quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley, but it was Eagles’ third-string quarterback Tanner McKee, who has never played a down in an NFL game, who stole the proverbial show.
McKee was already well-known in Brazil, having spent nearly two years in the South American country from 2018 to 2020 doing missionary work for The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints. During that time, he learned to speak Portuguese fluently. And it made headlines in the media when McKee took a question from a reporter in Portuguese, then answered it in Portuguese, and then translated it into English, even though the NFL had provided a translator.
Here’s how the exchange went after the question was asked: McKee said to the crowd of about 50 media representatives, “You want me to do it in Portuguese?”
Read more from Martin Frank of the (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
Friday night’s match will take place at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. The arena opened in 2014 and was used when Brazil hosted the World Cup. It is primarily the home of Corinthians, the city’s top football club.
The stadium was rebuilt to host today’s NFL game and is expected to be a sold-out stadium of more than 45,000 spectators. More than 60,000 fans were able to watch World Cup games here, but the temporary stands were dismantled after the tournament ended.
“I can’t be more excited to be here,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, via NBC Sports Philadelphia, as the team made its walkthrough on Thursday. “This is my first trip abroad as a coach. Going out there to the stadium, looking at the stadium and playing here tomorrow in front of the great fans.”
NBCUniversal will increase its influence on American sports viewers during the first weekend of the 2024 NFL regular season, with three games in four nights on its networks, including its streaming arm Peacock.
“They’re using sports as a central part of their identity for Peacock,” media analyst John Kosner told USA TODAY Sports.
After the season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens on NBC, the Brazilian duel between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles will be broadcast exclusively on Peacock. The weekend ends with the duel between the Los Angeles Rams and the Detroit Lions on NBC on “Sunday Night Football”.
“So I think they can keep the momentum going,” Kosner said, “and that’s probably part of the plan for the NFL.”
What the return on investment is for Peacock and other streamers remains unclear, according to fellow streaming analyst Dan Rayburn, who believes the NFL’s motivations are detrimental to the average fan who wants to enjoy the games in peace.
“From a sports league perspective, the NFL is more fragmented than any other league, and the reason for that is obviously money,” Rayburn told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s all.”
Peacock paid $110 million for last season’s wild-card playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. This year, the exclusive postseason streaming slot was awarded to Prime Video for $120 million. Netflix paid $150 million for two Christmas Day games, which fall on a Wednesday this year.
“The NFL is the most popular television content in our country, so it is clearly worth the investment,” Kosner said.
But how are fans – casual and hardcore fans – affected?
Read more from Chris Bumbaca of USA TODAY Sports
What time is kickoff for the Eagles vs. Packers game?
The two teams will compete on Friday, September 6th at 8:15 p.m. ET.
How to watch Eagles vs. Packers
Friday’s game is unique in that it is the only regular-season game to be broadcast exclusively on Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.
Watch Eagles vs. Packers on Peacock
- Jarrett Bell: Packers 27-24
- Chris Bumbaca: Packers 30–27
- Nate Davis: Packers 27-23
- Tyler Dragon: Eagle 26-21
- Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Packers 27-24
- Lorenzo Reyes: Packers 24-20
Eagles vs. Chiefs odds, moneyline, over/under
According to BetMGM NFL odds, the Eagles are the favorites to beat the Packers. Want to bet? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps that offer NFL betting promotions in 2024, including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
- Spread: Eagle (-2)
- Money line: Eagles (-130); Ravens (+110)
- Over/Under: 49
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, tips and spreads has you covered with the odds for Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can get exclusive promo and bonus codes at the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.
Injury report Eagles vs. Packers
- Eagle: CB Isaiah Rodgers (out, hand), LB Devin White (out, ankle)
- Packer: TE Tucker Kraft (questionable, back), RB MarShawn Lloyd (questionable, hamstring), RB Emanuel Wilson (questionable, hamstring)
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