The NFL goes south of the equator tonight; we hope it goes well.
Plus, two buddies square off in Queens.
TGIF(ootball)
What Happened: It definitely feels like games played outside the United States are more often than not sludge, low in scoring and high in sloppy play. Growing the game is a fine pursuit, but shipping off the Jaguars each year may not be the enticing proposition Roger Goodell thinks it is.
Maybe tonight’s Packers-Eagles matchup in Sao Paulo, Brazil will be more entertaining. Another 13-7 “who fumbles last wins” export and we may turn the rest of the world off from our version of football forever.
Why It Matters: Luckily, this should be an aesthetically pleasing contest.
Packers QB Jordan Love spent the second half of 2023 proving that the team was right to put its faith in his abilities and move on from Aaron Rodgers. In his first shot as the unquestioned starter, Love displayed superstar abilities; if he continues on this trajectory, he’ll be a player the general public will be seeing plenty of over the next few years.
A team many fans have gotten used to seeing is the Eagles, who have gone 34-17 under Nick Sirianni and made the postseason three times in three seasons. But that success hasn’t shielded him from rumblings that he may already be on the hot seat; he’s got plenty of talent on offense, led by Jalen Hurts under center, but breaking in two new coordinators, a new secondary, and losing key veterans will test Sirianni’s acumen from the get-go.
We can’t tell you which team will prevail here (that’s for subscriber-eyes only) but we’re hopeful the game will be a better product than past international forays.
What We’re Watching Today
Packers at Eagles (8:15 PM EST) – Wouldn’t it be funny if the officials penalized a player for using his hands or produced a yellow card or something? Be travelers, not tourists NFL refs!
US Open (7:00 PM ET) – At least we’ll get an American in the US Open Men’s Final, as no. 12 Taylor Fritz takes on no. 20 Frances Tiafoe. Also, these two are close friends who have been playing against one another, and pushing one another to be better, for years. Make sure to at least switch over from the NFL game during commercials and halftime; this promises to be as intense as it gets.
The Look Ahead
Cole Ragans STRIKEOUTS – Ragans ranks fourth in MLB this season in strikeouts, and in three starts agains the Twins this season, has whiffed nine, seven, and eight batters. His line for tonight makes sense at 7.5…but we’re likely to fade it if anything. Seeing the same pitcher twice within a few weeks gives batters an idea of how he’ll attack, and in a wild card race this fierce (just a half game separates the Twins and Royals at the moment,) Minnesota would do wise to tighten up their swings. Which they’ve been doing, striking out fewer than 10 times in three of their last five games as a team.
