Head coach Matt LaFleur admitted they made a mistake two years ago. When the Green Bay Packers played in London in week 5 of the 2022 regular season, the franchise decided it would be better to have a bye later in the season.
"Anytime things don't go to the level you want them to, you've got to look at everything critically," LaFleur said, weeks after the trip. "Absolutely I've wrestled with that. It's a tough lesson, I would say."
After losing to the New York Giants in the United Kingdom, the Packers also lost the four following games and six of the next seven. It was not only because of the travel, but it certainly mattered, and it cost the Packers a playoff spot in Aaron Rodgers' last season with the team.
So when the league approached Green Bay about facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil's first NFL game ever , logistics were the main concern.
"As that thing came down, there were some logistical challenges," Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said on the Adam Schefter Podcast. "But I think as we've gotten through those, we're pretty excited to go down there and our players are very excited, and putting it on a Friday night early where we're the only one on TV and everybody's watching I think players always love that. So it'll be exciting and it'll be a new experience, but I think, again we're not in Philadelphia so that's a good thing."
How they handled it
The first step to make it a smoother trip than it was for the Packers in 2022 was the decision to play the game on Friday night. It has a financial component for the league, putting an extra prime time game on Peacock for the American market and on several Brazilian outlets. The game will be broadcasted in Brazil by ESPN and Disney+, RedeTV (the fifth biggest open TV channel in the country), CazéTV for free on YouTube, and on GamePass via an international partnership with DAZN.
But the choice to play on Friday also helps with the logistics. The Packers and the Eagles will be able to go back to the United States during the weekend, so the preparation for week 2 will be normal.
The second step was to find a way to make the trip easier. Initially, the Packers would have to go by bus from Green Bay to Milwaukee, and then fly from Milwaukee to São Paulo. The league was able to get an airplane big enough to allow a direct flight from Green Bay to São Paulo.
"Getting the team operations and game operations right in any location, this is the foundation of our work," said Peter O'Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President of Club Business and League Events. "We have worked very closely with both teams since the game announcement to ensure that the travel logistics would go smoothly, including making sure we got the flights right. The Green Bay Packers will take a direct flight from Green Bay airport to São Paulo."
The league had a close communication with Packers president Mark Murphy throughout the process to handle every detail.
"Over time, we were in discussions with the Packers, we spoke with Mark Murphy at the last owners' meeting, and together we created a plan for them and the Eagles regarding all logistics, travel, transportation in São Paulo," O'Reilly added. "Experience, hotels, training centers, and the stadium. All of this is quite unknown when you enter a new market and a new city for the first time, and we are proud of how the NFL and the clubs have handled it."
The Packers will have a final practice on Thursday, already in Brazil. As a home team, the Eagles will practice at Corinthians Arena, so Green Bay's walkthrough will be at CT Joaquim Grava, which is the Corinthians soccer club training center.
By next Monday, the Packers will be ready to start preparing for the home opener. In week 2, Green Bay hosts the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field, hoping for a better sequence than they had two years ago.
Related: How football became popular in Brazil
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