Eagles and Packers will dive into Dolphins infested waters to open season in Brazil
By Brian Miller
The NFL will open its season with a game on Friday night in Brazil when the Eagles host the Packers but this is Dolphins territory.
Miami has the international marketing rights to Brazil which makes this a little surprising. Miami fans will not complain about losing a home game to play in Sao Paulo but you do have to wonder why the league would want to play their first game in this country without the Dolphins.
The Packers are a popular option and the Eagles will be a draw as well. It will be the first time the league has opened with a Friday night game. The Chiefs will still play on Thursday setting up a Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday night extravaganza of football.
You will likely not hear one NFL football fan complain about the over-saturated schedule.
As for the Dolphins, they will not have to travel overseas this year after playing in Germany last year and that is probably the reason why they will not be playing in Brazil this year. The Dolphins have made huge advances around the globe with international followings but the NFL also puts games from other teams into those markets to expand visibility and their brand.
The NFL schedule is not expected to be released until May 9th based on rumors. That would be a Tuesday and traditionally we see the release later in the week. Dolphins fans are impatiently waiting for the release.
Miami will play host to the Bills, Jets, and Patriots and will also host out-of-division opponents, San Francisco, Arizona, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, and Tennessee. This is their odd year so they will travel an extra week to face an NFC opponent.
Their road schedule will include division trips to the Bills, Patriots, and Jets but also will include Cleveland, Green Bay, Seattle, Indianapolis, Houston, and a trip to face the Rams in Los Angeles.