ORLANDO, Fla. — Rumors have been circulating for a couple of weeks that perhaps the Browns would discover here at the NFL meeting this week if they’ve been selected to face the “home team” Eagles in the opener in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on Sept. 6.
But NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told cleveland.com on Sunday that an announcement is “not anticipated” here and that multiple teams are still under consideration for the historic event. An announcement will likely come before the full NFL schedule is released in May.
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It will mark the first-ever game in South America, and the Browns are hoping to be a part of it. It’s also the first Friday night season opener since Sept. 18, 1970, when the Cardinals played at the Rams. All of the Eagles’ nine home opponents are eligible to join them at Corinthians Arena, home of the SC Corinthians soccer team, and the venue for both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.
But the Browns’ chances are much better than 1/9 for a number of reasons, including the fact that some of the opponents already have international commitments. In addition, the Eagles, who went 11-6 last season like the Browns, would like to avoid facing a big-gate division opponent in Brazil.
The Eagles’ other eight home opponents are the Falcons, Packers, Jaguars, Steelers, Panthers, Cowboys, Giants and Commanders, with the latter three being big-gate NFC East opponents.
The Jaguars will play a home game in London; and the Panthers play a home game in Munich, Germany, so that effectively eliminates them. That leaves the Browns, Falcons, Packers and Steelers as the most viable options. The Eagles would probably also rather host their in-state rival Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field than the Browns, who aren’t as big a draw.
The Steelers also might not be as enthusiastic as the Browns are to fly 12-15 hours to Brazil for the opener, but as the road team, they might not have much say in the matter.
The last time the Steelers played an international game was a loss to the Vikings in London in 2013. The last time the Browns played an international game was a 33-16 loss to the Vikings in England on Oct. 29, 2017 — en route to their 0-16 record. Kevin Stefanski was the Vikings quarterbacks coach that game.
The Packers and Browns also have road games against the Jaguars, and are possibilities to play in London. As for the Steelers, their only opportunity for an international game this year is in Brazil, so that could factor in.
If the Browns open in Brazil, it means their first two games will be on the road, given that Billy Joel and Rod Stewart are playing at Cleveland Browns Stadium the Friday night before the Week 2 game there, and the field won’t be ready for a game two days later, or even three.
Here are next season’s international game hosts:
- Philadelphia Eagles — Sao Paulo — Corinthians Arena
- Chicago Bears — London — Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Minnesota Vikings — London — Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Jacksonville Jaguars — London — Wembley Stadium
- Carolina Panthers — Munich — Allianz Arena.
The Falcons and Packers have also each played a game in London in the past two seasons, which could factor in. Regardless, the Browns will likely have to wait a little longer to find out.
The Browns will also not be playing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame preseason opener for the second straight season, with the game being on Aug. 1. They had hoped to get a jump on their season again at The Greenbrier report, but the timing didn’t work out.
They’ll still begin camp at The Greenbrier for the first eight practices or so, but it will be somewhere around July 24 if they get the Brazil game.
2024-03-24 22:56:00
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