Are The Philadelphia Eagles At A Disadvantage Because Of Their Game In Brazil?

Today, on Kincade And Salciunas, Bill Colarulo joined John and Andrew to discuss a variety of topics, including the Philadelphia Eagles' week 1 matchup in Brazil against the Green Bay Packers. While there is certainly plenty of interest in the game, John Kincade suggested that with a matchup against the Packers, a potential NFC rival, should happen at Lincoln Financial Field rather than a neutral site. To be fair, taking a home game away from the Eagles to have them play internationally does put them at a disadvantage against other NFL teams, but allow me to bring up a differing opinion.

Brazil is SICK. Seeing the Eagles play internationally is a really cool opportunity for existing fans and new fans alike, and I am really looking forward to all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with a stage of this magnitude. Now, to be fair, I do understand what John and Bill are talking about when they talk about the trouble this could cause for the Eagles, but to that point, Week 1 results are rarely the end of the world. I know that every game matters in the NFL, even as the schedule increases in games, but if this team is going to cost themselves dearly because of a first week result, they probably have more problems than where their opening game was played.

So, to me, this falls back into the category of "awesome opportunity". For Eagles fans, it's an opportunity to travel; yes I know you like your Sunday tailgates, but imagine seeing a foreign country for the first time with the Eagles as the reason. For international fans of the sport, maybe they end up wearing midnight (or kelly) green for the rest of their lives. While there are potential disadvantages competitively for the early part of this year's Eagles season, a once in a lifetime opportunity is worth it in my opinion.

Last season, we celebrated the 20th birthday of Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles played their first game there in August of 2023. Since then, it has been their home, and it has hosted some of the best years in Eagles history.

They have made it to 5 NFC Championship games while playing at Lincoln Financial Field. 4 of those were actually played there, including 3 wins. The majority of the Andy Reid era took place at the Linc. And obviously their  first and only Super Bowl came while they called it their home. But what are the greatest moments at the Linc?

It is tougher for the Linc than it was for Citizens Bank Park, because obviously the Super Bowl moments aren't eligible. They didn't take place at the Linc. So there is no Malcom Jenkins hit on Brandin Cooks, no Zach Ertz go-ahead TD, no Brandon Graham strip sack, and no Philly Special.

If I was making my all time Eagles moments, all of those would make the list, and you could throw in the Corey Clement toe tap TD in there too.

Also several of my favorite Eagles moments from this era took place in a NJ swamp, that the Giants pretend is part of New York.

But there are MANY iconic moments that took place at the Linc. Like I said, 4 NFC Championship games were hosted at the Linc. In those Andy Reid years, a lot of their playoff games in general were played here. There is a lot of great moments to pick from. But which are the best? In honor of the Eagles getting ready to make it 21 years at the Linc, lets go through the best moments on that field.

It should also be said that not everything on this list is an Eagles moment. The vast majority of those moments are. Lincoln Financial Field has hosted College Football Games, Soccer Matches, outdoor Hockey games, and most recently, WrestleMania. There have been iconic moments at the Linc that have nothing to do with the Eagles. 3 of them made this list.

Had to give Temple some love on this list. Things have not gone well for them since this moment. But at the time, it was huge for the program. I am not even a Temple fan, but I can appreciate how massive it was for Temple to take out Penn State like they did.

It was the 1st time they beat Penn State since 1941. That game took place two months before the United States entered WW2.

It was PJ Walker’s 1 yard TD that put them over the top late in the 3rd quarter. But they would go on to score 10 more points to make it a convincing 27-10 win. They also sacked Christian Hackenberg a staggering 11 times.

I knew I neeeded something from this absolute rout of the Cowboys. When you beat the Cowboys 44-6, to get to the playoffs, it is worthy of praise. The question was which moment?

Chris Clemons fumble return? One of David Akers 500 field goals in that game? The McNabb TD?

I went with Hanson, partly because of the play Brian Dawkins made to set it up.

The moment that started the career of Jake Elliott for the Eagles. He has gone on to hit several more clutch FGs. The one in the rain that forced OT vs the Bills this year was great too. But this is the one people are going to remember.

A record-breaking FG to get a walk off win. If he misses that they might wind up losing in OT. If they lose that, they don't end up with the number 1 overall seed, and maybe they don't make it to the Super Bowl.

But he did make it. And it was the start of a magical season that finally had us parading down Broad Street.

Yes, the Flyers also made the list. They took on the Penguins at the Linc in a 2019 Stadium Series game. And it was one for the ages.

The Penguins took a 3-1 lead. But the flyers roared back, eventually forcing OT. That is when Claude Giroux played hero. He skated through 2 defenders, and snuck one past Matt Murray, to complete the comeback win.

Beating the Penguins is always a treat. Beating them like that? It is worthy of this list. The fact it was raining only makes it cooler.

Why would I put a non-Eagles moment this high on the list? Because it was awesome. Cody Rhodes getting the Championship belt was a massive moment in Pro Wrestling history. Especially with all the wildness that led up to it.

John Cena showing up to save Cody. The Rock showing up to take out Cena, and the The Undertaker showing up to chokeslam The Rock? It was amazing television.

I am not even that big of a Wrestling fan. But it had me getting hyped from my couch as I watched from home. WrestleMania being in Philly was such a great thing for the city, and we really showed how special this city can be. It culminating with this, was a special moment.

In terms of regular season games, the Snow Bowl is up there with my all time favorites. Mostly because of LeSean McCoy’s record breaking performance. He ran all over the Lions for 217 yards. Breaking an Eagles record that had stood since 1949. It is a performance no one will forget anytime soon.

The Eagles-Falcons Divisional Round game was full of great moments. The Flea Flicker, the catch off of Keanu Neal’s knee. But for me, the best moment was the last play of the game.

At this time, if you had to pick any WR to catch this pass, it would have been Julio Jones. But he couldn’t make the catch. If he does, the Eagles still wouldn’t have a Super Bowl trophy. But because he dropped it, the Eagles won that game, and went on to win it all.

You never want to see anyone get hurt. But you can’t deny the impact Reddick’s multiple hits on Brock Purdy had on that NFC Championship game. The 49ers were never able to get anything going the rest of the game. And it set the Eagles offense up to get going a bit too.

Would they have won if Purdy stayed in the game? Who knows? The 49ers players and fans whining about it sure seem to think that the only reason the Eagles won is Purdy getting hurt. But Reddick dominating is why it happened. Reddick turned the game on its head, and set the tone for them to get to the Super Bowl.

The NFC Championship wasn’t exactly full of great moments. The blistering cold weather kept the scoring very low. But there is one unforgettable moment from that game. B Dawk’s hit on Alge Crumpler.

Crumpler to his credit held onto the ball. But it set a tone for the game.

This might be the most impressive individual moment in Lincoln Financial Field history. McNabb keeping the play alive as long as he could, to unleash a rocket down the field, and then for Freddie Mitchell of all people to make the play? It is iconic.

The relationship between McNabb and Eagles fans is complicated. But he deserves tons of love just for that moment alone. it helped get them to their 3rd straight NFC Championship Game. And while they would end up being embarrassed by the Panthers, this moment is still one of the best in Eagles history.

To me, this can’t be beaten. Is that influenced by them going on to win it all? Absolutely. None of these other moments set us up for a parade. And since we cant count anything from the Super Bowl itself, this one takes the cake.

Are there moments more impressive? Sure. Is it weird that Patrick Robinson of all people takes the number 1 spot? Yes. But for me, this is the most memorable moment at the Linc.