Following the Kansas City Chiefs' thrilling season-opening win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, the league will host its first ever regular-season game in Brazil on Friday when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Green Bay Packers. The game will be a rarity not only for its international flare but also its timing, as it will mark just the 13th game on that day of the week since 1970. Beyond the unique setup, there should be no shortage of storylines on the field, either, as the matchup features two NFC powers as well as marquee quarterbacks in Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts.
USA TODAY Sports will have updates on the game throughout the evening, so check back here for more:
Given Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, it's still technically winter, spring flowers set to bloom later this month. But the conditions at kickoff tonight should be mild: cloudy, approximately 70 degrees with light winds and little chance of rain, though it is quite humid.
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The verdant 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 ... rather than the Midnight Green and Kelly Green long associated with the franchise.
Why?
The Brazilian soccer club that's the primary tenant of the stadium, Corinthians, disapproves of green as it's the primary color of the archrival team, Palmeiras. So the Eagles opt for black while their opponent, the Packers, are forced to wear their home green jerseys, villainous in these parts.
- Packers: WR Malik Heath, 32 RB MarShawn Lloyd, DL Arron Mosby, DL Brenton Cox Jr., OT Kadeem Telfort, OT Travis Glover
- Eagles: 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 watching, as Green Bay could be thin in the backfield behind starter RB Josh Jacobs. Lloyd, the third-round pick out of USC, was set to be the primary backup after AJ Dillon was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a stinger. Now, the Packers might have to rely on Emanuel Wilson, a second-year back who tallied 85 yards on 14 carries last year as a rookie undrafted free agent.
SÃO PAULO, Brazil – The Eagles held a press conference for Brazilian media members Thursday, featuring some of their key players like 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 because he spent nearly two years in the South American country, from 2018-20, on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints. He became fluent in Portuguese during that time. And it made the media's day when McKee took a question in Portuguese from a reporter, then answered in Portuguese, then translated it into English, even though the NFL had supplied a translator.
This is how the exchange went after the question came in: McKee said to the crowd of about 50 media members: "You want me to do it in Portuguese?"
Read more from The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal's Martin Frank
Friday night's contest will be staged at São Paulo's Corinthians Arena. The venue opened in 2014 and was used when Brazil hosted the World Cup that year. It is primarily the home of "Corinthians," the top-tier soccer club of the city.
The stadium has been modified to accommodate tonight's NFL game, which is expected to have a sellout crowd of more than 45,000 spectators. More than 60,000 fans were able to watch World Cup fixtures here, but the temporary stands were dismantled once the tournament concluded.
“Can’t be more excited to be here,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said via NBC Sports Philadelphia as the team conducted its walkthrough Thursday. “This is my first international trip as a coach. To go out there into the stadium, to see the stadium and play here in front of the great fans here tomorrow.”
NBCUniversal’s grip on the American sports viewer will be tightened during the first weekend of the 2024 NFL regular season with three games in four nights on their properties, including its streaming arm, Peacock.
“They’re using sports as a key part of their identity for Peacock,” media analyst John Kosner told USA TODAY Sports.
Following the season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens on NBC, the Brazilian matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will air exclusively on Peacock. The weekend ends with the Los Angeles Rams facing the Detroit Lions on NBC for “Sunday Night Football.”
“So I think they can maintain the momentum,” Kosner said, “and it’s probably part of the plan for the NFL.”
What the return of investment is for Peacock and other streamers remains unclear, according to fellow streaming analyst Dan Rayburn, who contended that the NFL’s motivations hurt the average fan who wants to enjoy games with ease.
“The NFL is more fragmented than anybody else out there from a sports league standpoint, and obviously the reason for that is money,” Rayburn told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s all it is.”
Peacock paid a reported $110 million for last season's wild-card playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. This year, that exclusive postseason streaming slot was awarded to Prime Video for $120 million. Netflix paid a reported $150 million for a pair of Christmas Day games, which this year will land on a Wednesday.
“The NFL is the most popular content on television in our country, so it’s clearly worth the investment,” Kosner said.
But how are fans − casual and hardcore − affected?
Read more from USA TODAY Sports' Chris Bumbaca
The two teams are set to start things off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 6.
Friday's game is unique in that it is the lone game of the regular season that will be exclusive to Peacock, NBC's subscription streaming service.
Watch Eagles vs. Packers on PeacockThe Eagles are favorites to defeat the Packers, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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