Packers have a chance to put the league on notice in Week 1

NFL fans everywhere are aware of the unenviable task the Green Bay Packers are facing in Week 1. Not only are they squaring off against one of the favorites to come out of the NFC this season in the Philadelphia Eagles, but there are a few more things that could also play against them.

This is a matchup that will take place this Friday, a day that usually does not feature an NFL contest taking place outside of special circumstances, being the first week of the season and the second overall game played seems to be a fitting reason for its scheduled date.

On top of the odd scheduling day, this game between Green Bay and Philadelphia will be held in Brazil, adding just a bit more adversity to the Packers' chances. On their own, these do not seem to be circumstances impossible to overcome, but together, it is a combination that even the best teams in the league would have trouble succeeding in.

Troubling? Yes. Impossible? No.

Packers can make a statement in Week 1 vs. Eagles

Even though this seems like a laundry list of reasons why the Packers would not be able to succeed against the Eagles, that is not the case.

Sure, Philadelphia is the team everyone believes will come out on top in this contest, and for good reason. Jalen Hurts has quickly become one of the best quarterbacks in the game, and they added more firepower to their offense this past offseason by way of Saquon Barkley.

But to completely overlook and count out the Packers in this matchup? Now, that would be foolish.

Jordan Love blossomed into the quarterback the organization believed he could be in his first year as Green Bay's starter. Love would lead the Packers past the Dallas Cowboys in a surprise upset in the wild-card round last season and would go on to lose by just three points to San Francisco in the divisional round. This is a pretty impressive resume for someone just getting their feet wet last season.

It is somewhat easy to see why Philadelphia is the team most view to win this matchup. Going with the more established team and the quarterback with proven year-over-year success is the safe way to go about things when compared to the relative upstart nature of the Packers at this time.

Yes, winning a playoff game last season should have been enough to shed that label. But Love having one full season as a starter under his belt, combined with the mass exodus of Aaron Rodgers-era players prior to last year, is still giving people pause.

If Green Bay is able to overcome the obstacles in front of them and defy the expectations going into this game, you better believe the rest of the league will be looking at them differently. Some still seem to be riding the fence here, with one foot in and one foot out as to whether or not they are for real.

A win in Brazil against the Eagles will certainly put the league on notice and prove that this new era of Packers football is just beginning.

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