The Week 1 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles provides a few twists. First, there is the date – September 6, on a Friday. It’s very rare to see Friday night football for a NFL game. The league is kicking it into another gear for this season’s kickoff. In spite of that, for Green Bay, the most difficult aspect of this Packers Week 1 Preview is the opponent. After all, the Philadelphia Eagles are a great team who participated in the Super Bowl only a couple of years ago.
International Flavor
The Packers and the Eagles will play the first-ever NFL regular-season game in South America. The league is looking to grow the game in non-traditional markets. With several contests in Europe, expanding to Brazil makes a lot of sense. And for South America to kickoff the 2024 International Series is quite a statement, one usually reserved for London. Furthermore, the NFL certainly sent a couple of excellent teams for this historic matchup.
Key Packers Players
In football, everything starts with the quarterback. Fortunately for the Packers, Green Bay appears to have a good one in the form of Jordan Love. Considering the offensive talent on the Eagles, Love will have his hands full. The Green Bay attack will likely need to produce a lot of points in order to secure a Packers victory.
Love has built chemistry with the talented wide receivers on the roster. All of the main pass-catchers are on rookie contracts. So not only is the wide receiver room the same as last year, but it will remain in tact through the 2025 season. That includes the Packers top two targets, Jayden Reed and Christian Watson. With no true alpha in passing game, the first-read receiver may depend on the opposing team’s defensive structure.
Does the defense leave more space over the middle? Then it might be more of a Reed matchup. Does the opposing defense add extra attention to cover the slot receiver? Then it might be better to target Watson on the outside. This will not be unique to the Packers Week 1 game. The team’s top target could change every week given the matchup.
In addition, the ground game should provide some balance for Love. New to Green Bay is running back Josh Jacobs. He brings a well rounded skill set as a rusher and a receiver. But perhaps Jacobs’ best trait is his durability. He is the type of back you can give 200-300 carries to in a season.
Speaking of newcomers, the Packers defense will be deploying two new starting safeties on the back of the defense. The one concern off the bat is that it will likely be rookie Javon Bullard starting at free safety. A NFL regular-season debut against this team is not the easiest task. Luckily, free-agent signing Xavier McKinney has vast experience in the NFL, and against Philadelphia in particular. Both safeties will be tasked with helping out the cornerbacks against the Eagles’ talented wide receiver duo.
Key Eagles Players
As mentioned earlier: it’s all about the quarterback. Along with Love, Jalen Hurts is one of the bright young stars of the NFL. He combines good passing accuracy with incredible rushing talent, especially in short-yardage situations.
Hurts’ physical strength is an asset, but don’t overlook the Eagles offensive line. Yes, All-Pro center Jason Kelce retired, but new pivot Cam Jurgens does has some starting experience, even if it was at guard. New addition Mekhi Becton is athletically gifted, but injuries have been an issue. He joins the Eagles at right guard, and will be playing next to seasoned veteran Lane Johnson. The All-Pro right tackle is entering his 12th season in the NFL. That experience makes Johnson on of the leaders on the line, and on the team in general. It will a tough run game matchup for the Green Bay defense.
However, if the Packers load the box, Hurts has a couple of very talented receivers to throw towards. Both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are great route runners, with excellent skills. Brown in particular is one of the best yards-after-the-catch receivers in the league. A balanced defensive approach will be necessary for the Green Bay squad.
Not to overlook the Philadelphia defense, because there is immense talent in that unit. Starting on the defensive line, the situation is not that different from the offensive line. The retirement of a long-time All-Pro does change the team a little. Recently retired Fletcher Cox was even named to the 2010’sAll-Decade Team. However, a pair of former first-round selections will pick up where Cox left off. Both Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are talented defensive linemen who will create difficult matchups in the trenches.
Keys to Win the Game
Against such a talented and complete team as the Eagles, Green Bay has to be at their best. It’s easier said than done, but that is the challenge facing both teams. So what are the keys to victory?
Of course, quarterback play matters so much. For the Packers defense, this may be the best quarterback Green Bay faces all season. Not only as a passer, but also as a runner. The Eagles’ short-yardage attack is very effective at gaining first-downs as well as touchdowns. Hurts himself is so strong for a quarterback, but the Philadelphia offensive line also poses a challenge.
In the heat of Brazil, can the Green Bay defensive line rotation keep players fresh? Kenny Clark is still the Packers most important defensive player. But in Week 1, and facing a relentless rush attack, how many snaps will he play? If Clark only ends up playing two-thirds of the defensive snaps, what happens the other third? That is where the Eagles can exploit the Packers defensive line.
Looking downfield, the Green Bay cornerbacks will have their hands full. Both Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes will face tough matchups in the form of Brown and Smith. The added difficulty is Brown’s ability to move around the formation. Will he play on the outside or in the slot?Certainly, the Packers would prefer the former in order to get Alexander against him. However, things get complicated if Brown moves into the slot. Will Alexander follow inside? Or will he flip to cover Smith? This game will be a big test for this new defensive system, and how Alexander is deployed.
Who will win this Brazil game? As outlined in this Packers Week 1 Preview, this should be tough test for both teams.
