Eagles

Eagles

Eagles

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 22: A.J. Brown #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second half of a game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 22, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Wait is almost over. Eagles football is back. This Friday, we finally get Eagles Football. The Eagles head down to Brazil, to open up their season vs the Packers.

Coming off a weird season where they started 10-1, but finished 1-7, including the playoff loss, it is hard to get a read on this team. Will they get back to dominating like they did in 2022, or will the struggles from last season carry over into the 2024?

We might not get the answer to that question week 1. Whether they win or lose, dominate or struggle, 1 game may not be enough to answer the burning questions heading into this season.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 26: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles attempts a pass during the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field on November 26, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. week 1 Eagles power rankings
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Related: Week 1 Eagles Power Rankings Roundup- A Fresh Slate

So much has changed. The defense looks completely different. Fletcher Cox and Haason Reddick are both gone, which will definitely hurt. Meanwhile CJ Gardner, and a promising rookie class are in. Quinyon Mitchell has upside through the roof. he should be a massive upgrade at Corner. Everyone expects Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis to take the next step.

But there are problems there too. Edge Rusher looks weaker than a year ago, with Haason Reddick now holding out in New York. Linebacker, while improved, is still a question mark. And as promising as the young guys are, none of them are proven in the NFL yet.

We might not know until late in the season if this team has fixed their problems. But they can make us feel a lot better at least in week 1.

Who needs to step up in order for them to beat the Packers? Which Eagles players are in store for massive week 1s? Will the Eagles leave Brazil with a week 1 victory? Leaving out the obvious of Jalen Hurts, let’s look at the Philly plays in store for massive games in Brazil.

Here are 5 Eagles Who Should Have Big Games Week 1 Vs The Packers:

  • AJ Brown and Devonta Smith

    The last couple seasons, the Eagles did not do much to scheme WRs open. They relied on Brown and Smith beating their man. It happened a lot, because those 2 guys are very good. But they had to work harder for their yards than other top WRs, and you say them getting the ball in space far less often.

    With Kellen Moore, expect that to change. We will see slant routes to Brown. We will see designed plays that break them open into space. We will see both of them move around the field to find mismatches. We will see them use the middle of the field. We will also see motion. Nick Sirianni’s offense created on average some of the worst separation for WRs, despite having great WRs, Moore is the opposite. This goes for the entire season, but you should be very excited to see those 2 in action for the first time in this new offense.

    The Packers do have a very good secondary, but Safety is better than Corner. Outside Jaire Alexander, the rest of the cornerbacks are very beatable, and you should expect the Eagles WRs to prey on them.

    97.5 The Fanatic on X (formerly Twitter): "Just how good are the Eagles skill players? @Tim_McManus told @975BestShowEver they could be the best in Eagles history."I would say this current skill position group is probably the best ever assembled in Philadelphia's history... It is like a comet, having AJ Brown and... pic.twitter.com/2Go4jFBm6L / X"

    Just how good are the Eagles skill players? @Tim_McManus told @975BestShowEver they could be the best in Eagles history."I would say this current skill position group is probably the best ever assembled in Philadelphia's history... It is like a comet, having AJ Brown and... pic.twitter.com/2Go4jFBm6L

  • Jalen Carter

    Again, with it being week 1, you are going to see a lot of the names on this list just be guys who will be great overall. Carter was tremendous through 11 games last year. Then he and Jordan Davis fell off a cliff. But now that he is in year 2, and got past the rookie wall, expectations should be sky high. James Palmer told The Best Show Ever he is getting love to be DPOY around the NFL.

    The Packers interior O-Line is fine. It is not great, but also not terrible. That type of average o-line play is an area Carter should still takeover though.

    97.5 The Fanatic on X (formerly Twitter): "How good can Jalen Carter be? @JamesPalmerTV told @975BestShowEver that there are people around the NFL who think he could be the best defender in the league. "If the youngsters on that defensive line play the way they are capable of, they are going to be fine... There are... pic.twitter.com/xde6tyCJ32 / X"

    How good can Jalen Carter be? @JamesPalmerTV told @975BestShowEver that there are people around the NFL who think he could be the best defender in the league. "If the youngsters on that defensive line play the way they are capable of, they are going to be fine... There are... pic.twitter.com/xde6tyCJ32

  • Josh Sweat

    Arguable the Packers biggest weakness is at Left Tackle. David Bakhtiari is gone. Due to injuries, they have mostly been without him the last 3 seasons, but now he isn’t even in the building. They did not not get ahead of it either. They will rely on former 7th round pick Rasheed Walker at LT, who has been ok, but not special.

    Josh Sweat struggled late last season as he ran out of steam due to an increased snap count. But week 1, he should be in tip top shape. He started out last season incredibly hot, getting 5.5 sacks over his 1st 7 games. He will get a chance to start hot again week 1 vs the Packers with them being vulnerable at LT.

    NFL on X (formerly Twitter): "First down? Josh isn't Sweating it.Eagles recover the fumble! @SweatyJ_9📺: #WASvsPHI on ESPN📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/qDn7D0vc2b pic.twitter.com/4fQMwfyhDo / X"

    First down? Josh isn't Sweating it.Eagles recover the fumble! @SweatyJ_9📺: #WASvsPHI on ESPN📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/qDn7D0vc2b pic.twitter.com/4fQMwfyhDo

  • Saquon Barkley

    The Packers are switching from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3. Meaning they are going to have 3 off ball Linebackers on the field a lot. It is not yet clear yet if they have 3 linebackers worthy of being on the field. Linebacker for the Packers is a huge question, with very little proven talent on the roster.

    All the better for Saquon. As the Packers go through growing pains in the new defensive system, Barkley can benefit with open running lanes if the Packers LBs find themselves out of position.

    BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

    BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – AUGUST 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 09, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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