3 important storylines to watch for Packers vs. Eagles in Week 1

The Green Bay Packers kick off their 2024 season against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL's inaugural game in Brazil. The two teams meet at Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo.

After a strong finish to last season, there is understandably a lot of excitement surrounding this team.

There are still some unanswered questions, though, and we should learn a lot from how things play out in Sao Paulo. Here are three storylines to watch this weekend.

Key storylines to watch in Packers' season opener vs. Eagles

Is the Packers' new-look secondary able to live up to the hype?

There is a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the Packers defense, thanks to new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and a number of new players. Hafley is bringing a different style of defense, and the Packers' secondary is now bolstered by the acquisition of versatile safety Xavier McKinney and promising rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams.

The cornerback duo of Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes is also finally healthy. This weekend will mark just their second start together in the last 28 games.

The question now is whether this unit can live up to the offseason hype. This matchup against the Eagles will be a great test of that.

Philadelphia has a formidable receiving corps. AJ Brown is one of the game's elite pass catchers, and in Devonta Smith they have one of the best secondary receiving threats in the NFL. Dallas Goedert and Jahan Dotson are also nice auxiliary options. If the Packers defense is going to be a force this season, they need to hold their own against teams like this. It's going to be fascinating to see how they fare.

What role does Lukas Van Ness play?

It's just over a year since the Packers took Lukas Van Ness with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Whilst some of his contemporaries have vaulted themselves into household name status, it is fair to say he's had a slower start.

Van Ness played just 466 snaps for the Packers last season. The only players selected inside the top 20 who played fewer snaps were Anthony Richardson and Christian Gonzalez, both of whom suffered season-ending injuries.

The Packers' plan was always to bring Van Ness along slowly. Entering the league, he was a player with impressive athleticism, but needed some refinement. In that sense his rookie season was par for the course, but expectations are understandably higher for him entering his sophomore season.

Devonte Wyatt made significant strides last season after a similarly quiet rookie campaign. He even managed a pair of sacks in Week 1. While Van Ness might not match that against the Eagles, it will be interesting to see how much more of a role he is given under Hafley.

What does new kicker Brayden Narveson look like?

While special teams may not be a top priority for everyone, it will be crucial to the Packers' success this season. In 2023, the team finished 31st in special teams DVOA, struggling in particular with extra point conversions and field goal accuracy.

With Anders Carlson now off the team, the Packers head into 2024 with rookie kicker Brayden Narveson as their starter. Narveson spent five years in college, playing for Iowa State, Western Kentucky, and NC State. His track record was a little inconsistent, but Matt LaFleur has expressed his confidence that Narveson can be the kicker the Packers need.

Whether he can or not remains a big question - we should get at least some sense of an answer against the Eagles.

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