Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni had no control over where his team was scheduled to open the season.
Sirianni, however, was quick to note — multiple times, in fact — that the Eagles must “control the things (they) can control.”
That’s the mindset that Sirianni wants out of his players Friday as the NFL kicks off for the first time in South America when they Eagles face the Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“We’re going there to play and win a football game. That’s our goal, that’s our only goal as we go down there,” Sirianni said on Sunday. “It’s just getting everyone in the right mindset of what you what you need to be when you go down there. You can control the things you can control. We’re going to Brazil to play, and that’s what it is and we’re excited about that.”
Sirianni noted that a proper mindset goes a long way, especially when dealing with events that are not considered the norm. He provided the example of teams playing in the rain to further his point.
“The team that handles the rain and looks at the rain that they’re ready for it, is going to be able to play better in the rain,” he said, “Well, that’s the same thing when you go to a neutral site, whether it’s London or wherever it is.
“… These are things you can’t control. What we can control is our effort. What we can control is our attitude and what we can control is our core values. And that’s what we’ll focus on this week.”
Friday’s contest is one of five regular-season games are part of the NFL International Series in 2024, with three in London, England, and another in Munich, Germany. The Jacksonville Jaguars will play in London twice this season.
With the game in South America, the league will have held at least one preseason or regular-season game on five of seven continents.
–Field Level Media
