Six consecutive losing seasons typically isn’t the recipe for selling out your season tickets.

But apparently the Atlanta Falcons have a different formula. After signing the NFL’s biggest free agency prize in quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Falcons have sold out their season tickets for the first time in 20 years.

Yes, the Falcons are suddenly a hot ticket as they also begin a new era under new coach Raheem Morris against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

‘Obviously, the expectations are a little higher than normal,’ Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates III told USA TODAY Sports. ‘That’s good, when you’ve got expectations. That means you’re doing something right. You’ve got some momentum going in the right direction. At the end of the day, none of that matters if you don’t execute day in and day out. We’ll see what happens.’

Cousins, with first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. in the wings, addresses the team’s most glaring issue. He’s installed to solidify a unit already possessing prime young talent with running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London. They also added free agent receiver Darnell Mooney. And the O-line remains intact, led by Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom and veteran left tackle Jake Matthews.

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Within the past month, the Falcons also added two significant, Pro Bowl-credentialed pieces for their defense, trading for edge rusher Matthew Judon and signing free agent Justin Simmons.

Clearly, they won the offseason, which is why many experts have picked the Falcons to claim the NFC South division title has been won the past three seasons by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And the expectations are also reflected with a schedule that features three prime-time showcase games within the first five weeks.

‘Atlanta, they need football to be back,’ said Bates, mindful that the Falcons last posted a winning season and playoff berth in 2017. ‘We’re excited about the expectations, but we’ve got to put in the work day in and day out.’

It shouldn’t take long to see if they can live up to the hype, with the Eagles, Chiefs and Bucs on the early-season docket.

Dallas’ defensive makeover: ‘A little bit of pandemonium’

If Mike Zimmer’s return to the Dallas Cowboys means the defense won’t resemble the unit that was shredded by the Packers during the shocking first-round playoff loss in January, then maybe there’s truly hope that Jerry Jones’ franchise will be more than a tease this time around. Zimmer was lured back to coordinate the defense after Dan Quinn left to become Washington Commanders coach.

A key barometer exists with All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons. With creative twists, Zimmer could help one of the versatile and talented players in the NFL reach a higher level.

It will also be interesting to see how well players adjust to the heavy use of disguises that mark Zimmer’s designs. Dallas opens on Sunday at the Cleveland Browns.

‘It’s about a little bit of theatrics, along with some hard-nosed football,’ linebacker Eric Kendricks told USA TODAY Sports.

Kendricks, a 10th-year veteran, was one of the few free agents that cap-strapped Dallas added during the offseason, and there’s no mystery as to why. He played seven seasons under Zimmer with the Minnesota Vikings and clearly can help his new teammates acclimate to Zimmer’s schemes.

What does Kendricks tell teammates about all of those disguised coverages and rushes?

‘It’s a little bit of pandemonium, a little bit of ‘hectedness,” he said. ‘We have to learn the game a lot more than these guys have been called to in the past. Know where your help is, and who’s got who. Because when things change up really quickly, you’ve got to have each other’s back.’

Quick slants

On a night when Patrick Mahomes surpassed Len Dawson’s record to become the Chiefs’ all-time leading passer, it was also notable that the star quarterback snagged his second career reception just before halftime during the Thursday night victory against the Ravens. Like Mahomes’ first career catch, the 2-yard gain came off a deflection of a pass he threw – and was significant as he jumped between two defenders to prevent an interception and allowed Kansas City to continue chewing up the clock. And, of course, given the creative wrinkles that Chiefs coach Andy Reid is noted for has never resulted in a play where he is targeted for a pass, it gives Mahomes an idea. ‘I know I only got 2 yards, but I thought it was a pretty good catch,’ Mahomes said. ‘So, maybe (it could) get Coach Reid to throw me a pass here somewhere.’

Tom Brady’s journey to the broadcast booth began 28 months ago when FOX CEO Lachlan Murdoch made the stunning announcement on an earnings call that the storied quarterback would be joining the network’s top announcing team … eventually. 

At the time, Brady had reversed course on his initial retirement announcement and committed to another season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He took a “gap year” during the 2023 season, prompting questions about whether ‘Brady the broadcaster’ would actually ever happen. Finally, when the Cleveland Browns host the Dallas Cowboys at 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday in America’s “Game of the Week,” the most decorated player in NFL history will hold the microphone in his much-anticipated second act.

Brady has discussed his new career little during his sporadic public-speaking engagements. FOX has not made Brady, any of their top broadcast team talent or production staff available for comment on the seven-time Super Bowl champion’s preparation. 

Brady requires little promotion. But his new career will be one of the most notable storylines of the 2024 NFL season, all the way until he calls Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans. 

“It’s going to take a while for all of us to get used to Tom Brady,” longtime broadcaster and media personality Boomer Esiason said. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”

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What to expect from Tom Brady in broadcasting

Over the past year, Brady has done his due diligence in learning the broadcasting trade. He’s reached out to top analysts at other networks, such as NBC’s Cris Collinsworth and ESPN’s Troy Aikman, for advice. According to The Athletic, he watched a January Miami Dolphins home game from the NBC production truck. He and broadcast partner Kevin Burkhardt have called practice games; Brady would apologize to Burkhardt after mistakes, and the play-by-play man offered reassurances, Brady said in a sit-down interview with FOX “NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee.  

“I want to get up every day and try to prove to them, ‘Hey guys, I know I’m the rookie, but I’ve got your back, too,’” Brady told Menefee.  

Because of this level and type of preparation, Esiason said Brady’s entrance into the business is unique. 

“Nobody has done it the way he’s done it thus far,” the New York radio host and former broadcaster told USA TODAY Sports. 

Early on, Esiason said, the broadcasts may sound more like an interview between Burkhardt and Brady. As they built chemistry, the pair will sound more like a traditional booth. Brady won’t be perfect and will make mistakes, and Esiason believes Burkhardt is the ideal broadcaster to be the safety net alongside a rookie announcer. 

“I knew he was going to be good. And he turned out to be great,” said Esiason, who started watching Burkhardt while he was the reporter for the local New York Mets’ television broadcasts. “FOX found a replacement for Joe Buck. That’s how good ‘KB’ is.” 

Esiason knows the importance of starting on the right foot with a new broadcast partner. He and Al Michaels famously did not work well together in their lone season in the “Monday Night Football” booth on ABC. Burkhardt, 50, is three years older than Brady, and Esiason predicted the duo would have enough in common to form a foundation during their first go-round. 

“I think that’s the perfect guy for a guy going into it for the first time,” Esiason said. 

How critical will Tom Brady be of NFL players, coaches? 

Since actually retiring, and even during his final years in Tampa, Brady has been unafraid of offering his opinions through a variety of media, mainly his SiriusXM podcast, “Let’s Go!” Last season, while speaking with Stephen A. Smith, Brady was critical of the league’s coaching and rules that protected offensive players. 

“I think there’s a lot of mediocrity in today’s NFL,” Brady said.

The three-time Most Valuable Player posted on social media last December that quarterbacks should “throw the ball to the right places” following a hit that injured Indianapolis Colts wideout Michael Pittman Jr.

Prior to his New England Patriots’ Hall of Fame induction ceremony in June, Brady told Yahoo! Sports that “quarterbacking has gone backwards a little bit in the NFL” due to coaching at both the college and pro levels.

The purest form of football commentary comes from “somebody that’s devoid of friendships and somebody who isn’t afraid to criticize,” Esiason said. 

Brady curtailed expectations about how harsh he might be during Fanatics Fest in New York last month. On a panel with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Brady said he might want to make a remark that a play “was horrible.” 

“I just can’t say that on TV,” he said.  

‘Why not?’ Smith asked.

‘Well, because there are parents and there are family members, and I don’t want to always necessarily say it in that way,’ Brady said. ‘But if I was doing it myself, and let’s say I threw a really bad interception, I would walk to the sidelines and say, ‘You are the worst quarterback in the world. How could you possibly make that throw? Terrible!’

‘But I don’t want to be so critical, because in some ways I don’t necessarily know exactly what the problem was on that play.” 

In 1997, the New York Times wrote about how Esiason’s relationship with Cris Collinsworth had taken a hit because of Collinsworth’s assessments early in his broadcast career. 

Collinsworth’s advice to Brady was what everybody at FOX told him – and is one of the core tenets of sports television: be yourself. 

“Just be yourself,” Brady told Menefee. “I’m like, ‘That’s the worst advice.’” 

The kind words are a bit different in tone from what Collinsworth told the Times 27 years ago. 

“This is a nasty business,” Collinsworth said then. “But I can only rationalize what I do by seeing myself as a coach. If everyone loves you, you’re not a good coach.” 

Restrictions are already shaping Brady’s work. As he pursues a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, Brady is not permitted to enter another team’s facility, thus barring him from traditional production meetings and access that rights holders are accustomed to. Burkhardt, the production team, and sideline reporters Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi are still allowed to hold those meetings, and Brady can also acquire original information similar to how Peyton Manning does for his “ManningCast” shows. 

Permitted to call Raiders games, Brady must abide by the league constitution and bylaws, the NFL said, which could “prohibit public criticism of officials and other clubs.” 

Aikman, who formerly sat in Brady’s chair at FOX before joining “MNF” two years ago, told the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast in June that Brady will have to find his voice in that respect. 

“I think he’s gonna give an honest, unvarnished opinion,” Aikman said, “and I think he’s gonna be really good.” 

How will fans react to Tom Brady’s announcing? 

On the other side of the criticism spectrum is how Brady will receive the inevitable detractors. Brady will always have a handle on what’s happening on the field and is eloquent enough to relay it, Esiason said. An adjustment period will occur nonetheless. 

“His voice is a little bit higher-pitched,” Esiason said, “so people are going to have to get used to that for three-and-a-half hours.” 

Working against Brady is that football fans already have an opinion of him. Followers of teams in the AFC East not named the New England Patriots likely won’t have the kindest feedback at the outset. 

Social media has only amplified the negativity. At some point Sunday, Esiason said, Brady will be trending. The criticism going his way is “gonna come hot and heavy.” There will be trolls and supporters.  

“I don’t think Tom would be overly affected about that,” Esiason said, “but you never know.”

Brady does have instant credibility and respect of most fans due to his individual accomplishments and commitment to the game.

“Still, everybody will nitpick,” said Esiason, who called ‘Monday Night Football’ and the Super Bowl for Westwood One from 1999-2018 and was a member of CBS’ ‘NFL Today’ on Sundays until this year.

The job of a lead network analyst requires thick skin. 

“Reptile skin to get in there (the booth),” Esiason said.  

Which leaves Esiason asking the question everyone else has on their minds as the GOAT smiles for the camera and fires up the telestrator. 

“Do you really want to do this?”

When Shota Imanaga’s no-hit bid for the Chicago Cubs was unfolding the other night, a number of baseball’s “unwritten rules” were at play.

Imanaga’s teammates avoided contact with him in the dugout, a long-held player superstition during potential no-hitters. No one on the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Cubs’ opponent, attempted to bunt for a hit, which would have drawn criticism as trying to break it up in a cheap way.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell went head-on with one of these so-called rules when he pulled Imanaga after seven innings with the no-hitter still intact. Counsell said he was prioritizing his pitcher’s health.

“It’s 100% about taking care of Shota and making sure we’re doing the right thing for him,” the manager said.

Are we doing the same for our kids with their sports?

Parents and coaches often have their own unwritten rules: Don’t run up the score on a weaker opponent; don’t cheer when that opponent makes a mistake; don’t steal bases when you have a big lead; don’t leave a kid pitcher in a game after he’s thrown 95 pitches, as Imanaga had.

And yet, it all happens anyway.

Our rules, if they aren’t written down or widely understood, can lead to arguments and confrontations among coaches, or even fights among parents in the stands.

As a result, our kids see poor representations of “adult” behavior. Their own sportsmanship, development and health is compromised because we don’t have enough of a bold-faced code.

Here are 10 unwritten rules to live by in youth sports, developed in consultation with coaches across the country and a medical expert. Some of them have been adopted into the bylaws of sports leagues and tournaments. Others, like Counsell’s words, are just common sense.

1. Know how much your kid has pitched (or played)

We know from record keeping at the professional level that Imanaga, who pitched eight years in Japan before coming to the Cubs this season, is approaching a career high in innings this season.

Youth pitch counts are less precise. Kids sometimes pitch for multiple teams in the same season, and their number of pitches is tracked independently.

Therefore, a kid could reach his or her pitch limit for Little League (85 or less from ages 12 on down) and then pitch in a tournament without the required four days of rest. Some tournaments allow kids to pitch on consecutive days with more relaxed rest rules than what Little League requires, or even to pitch without limitations.

“And if it’s an important game, I would argue that adrenaline may cause that athlete to throw harder than he or she normally would,” Natalie Ronshaugen, a pediatric sports medicine physician at Children’s Nebraska in Omaha, Nebraska, told USA TODAY Sports.

Pitches thrown should count toward tournaments and Little League tallies to limit the risk of a growth plate injury, which Ronshauge says can shut down a kid for an entire season. More severe injures can affect growth of that limb.

At any age, it’s important for coaches to communicate with athletes about not only their pitch counts, but how they feel. Throwing can sometimes cause sore muscles, but should never cause pain, Ronsaugen says.

“A fatigued pitcher is much more likely to have poor throwing mechanics and is at a higher risk of injury,” she says.

That goes for athletes in other positions and sports, too. Don’t get so caught up in winning a game, or in completing a no-hitter, that you compromise a kid’s health.

Coach Steve: The ‘dangerous’ effects of playing through a concussion

2. The 24-hour rule: No postgame analysis on the way home

If your son or daughter has just had a rough game, they are likely more upset about it than you are.

“Do not do a postgame analysis on the way home,” Baseball Hall of Famer and youth sports advocate Cal Ripken said last spring at the Project Play Summit. “When something goes bad, do not address (in the car). That’s going to end bad every single time. They’re not gonna listen; you’re gonna get upset. Just figure out what you might want to say the next day, and then try to impart that teaching.”

Wait 24 hours, and then suggest something they did well to mix in as part of your discussion, as Ripken’s father once did with minor league ballplayers.

“I couldn’t be more proud of your effort,” you might say. “We just need to work on your swing a little more. It will come.”

Or allow your child to initiate the conversation, and let the discussion flow from there. This gives him or her a feeling of power or control over the situation.

3. Parents, don’t instruct kids during games

‘Leave the players alone! The amount of times that parents shout incorrect tactical advice to their child is way too high,” says Bryan Wokich, a U7 and U11 soccer coach from Bellingham, Washington. “Amazingly, it’s tougher with the young ones. I’m trying to get a player to stay on defense and parents are encouraging the kid to chase the ball.”

He echoes the frustrations of youth coaches across the country.

We think we are helping, but we’re just distracting them. We’re also teaching them from an early age to be overly dependent on us when we should be starting to foster independence.

Let them make decisions, and let the coach offer the instructions.

“I should emphasize that all the parents are trying to help and cheering on their kids in good spirits,” Wokich told me. “Some coaches go as far as ‘please don’t say your child’s name.”

Instead, stick to encouraging phrases: You’ve got this! Get the next one. Or, you’re good! Here are more suggestions.

4. Another 24-hour rule: if you disagree with a coach’s decision, cool off first

We don’t always like what coaches tell our kids. But parents can come off too harsh in the heat of the moment. It’s better to address your issues with a clear mind.

Implement your own 24-hour rule.

Kyle Reed uses that policy as the head varsity football coach at Monroe (Mich.) High.

“I also explain to  the parents I’m gonna hold them accountable, just like you will, so let me be a conduit to help do that,” says Reed, who has been coaching high school football for 24 years. “I think people do appreciate that perspective.”

5. ‘Blah, blah, blah’: No parent critiques of umpires

Sports officials often bear the brunt of our disappointment when things don’t go our kids’ way. Parents berate, threaten, and demonize them. In turn, the officials quit because they fear for their safety, and there are fewer at games to get the calls right.

Have you ever had a personal conversation with an umpire or referee? They are often someone’s teenager like yours or seasoned veterans who are knowledgeable about their sport.

If you cheer and otherwise sit quietly, they might offer your son or daughter an inside tip. But if you yell at them, they shut down, if they are even listening to you at all.

“Parents don’t realize the helmet muffles the sound of mostly all of their screaming,” says Steve Buskard, who has refereed youth hockey for more than 16 seasons in Ontario, Canada. “We only hear ‘Blah, blah, ref, blah.’ The players at a face off will always apologize to us for their parents.”

6. Coaches, set an example when disputing calls

“Kids watch you more than they’ll ever listen to you,” says Torrey Smith, a former Super Bowl-winning receiver who now shares his core values with inner city kids in Baltimore.

Instead of exploding at sports officials’ calls, coaches can use a call with which they disagree as an opportunity. It can show kids how to handle a dispute, even if he gets tossed.

“When a coach is ejected from a game by an umpire after losing an argument, there is an immediate learning opportunity and experience for the players; they will closely observe how the coach handles the situation,” says Evan Gerish, a youth coach from metro Detroit. “Does the coach maintain composure, or do they lose their temper? Do they swear? It’s a major moment to watch a role model in a real life situation.”

7. Have playing time rules at tournaments

There is no excuse for not playing every kid as much as you can when their parents are shelling out thousands of dollars per season to play for your team.

Tournaments (starting at young age groups) don’t always have minimum playing time rules, let alone equal playing time rules. Instead, it’s all about winning. I’ve seen kids in multiple sports played minimally or not at all. A parent and longtime youth hockey coach with whom I connected in Michigan told me he has seen it, too, in volleyball and hockey, sports with notoriously high fees.

He suggested two easy fixes:

If a kid isn’t going to play much on a team, the coach needs to suggest to the parents to move a level down.
If you’re going to a road tournament, let them know the kid won’t play ahead of time.

Coach Steve: Winning doesn’t rank high on kids’ list of fun factors. Just ask Andre Agassi

8. Bush league: Don’t use tactics that won’t work at the next level

Baseball tournaments often don’t restrict stealing bases when a team has a big lead. Some coaches do it, though, when it allows them to reach their mercy rule threshold quicker and rest their players for the next team. This tactic can lead to confrontations with an angry opposing coach.

If you’re regularly dominating teams in a youth tournament, it means you needs to move up a skill level of competition, where you might get humbled yourself.

On smaller baseball fields, we see players steal bases in between throws from the catcher to pitcher. They can get away with it in Little League, but on a regulation sized field, where kids are ultimately judged, they’d likely get thrown out by 20 or 30 feet.

9. Use one-sided games as an opportunity to get better

I have experienced both sides of blowouts as a coach. In one sixth-grade basketball league, we weren’t allowed to win by more than 40 points, so once teams reached that threshold, they played keep-away from the other players. It wasn’t basketball.

A varsity lacrosse coach in Atlanta with whom I connected on social media has a better solution: Divide up the rosters into evenly matched teams and play an intrasquad for the second half. It teaches players respect for the game and for their opponents.

And don’t count individual stats once a certain lead is reached, a 16U hockey coach in the New York metro area suggests. Don’t make blowouts about padding stats for an All-Star selection. Make them about sportsmanship.

10. Don’t forget there’s kids – and humans – on the other side

We get so engrossed in the results of our kids’ games, that we momentarily forget there are kids on the other side, too. We cheer fervently for ours, even when our opponent makes a mistake. (I have been guilty of this unintended jeering, too.)

The next time it happens, let’s sit quietly and watch the kid who has made the error, or thrown the ball out of bounds or to the opposing defensive back. Let’s think about how he or she might feel.

And then let’s think about if we would be hard on ourselves, or our kid, if the same thing happened to us. It’s a practice a coach at the highest level of men’s college basketball embraces.

“I’m a human being. This guy I’m coaching is a human being. And we have to have a level of acceptance for some of the flaws and the frailties and limitations that people have,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart says.

During a recent interview on the Coaching Culture podcast, Smart recounted how he recently woke up at 2 a.m. and said out loud: “Not good enough. It’s OK.”

“Then I thought about it. It’s kind of like the story of a lot of our lives,” Smart said. “We’re trying to be better, we’re trying to grow, we’re trying to help others do the same. But at the same time, we have to get to a place of acceptance, like, it’s OK.”

In other words: Whatever the rules, written or unwritten, we win and we lose, we make mistakes, but we can always do things differently the next time.

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

The Green Bay Packers lost 34-29 to the Philadelphia Eagles in their opener, and now the team might have to navigate its next several contests without its star quarterback.

Jordan Love exited the game with six seconds left with a sprained medial collateral ligament. Love is expected to miss a few weeks, but his season is not in jeopardy, a person familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the injury has not been officially announced yet.

Asked about Love’s status after the game, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, ‘I don’t know.’

On first-and-10 with 15 seconds remaining on the Packers’ 49-yard line, Love tried to buy extra time to find an open receiver, but he was hit low by Eagles DT Jalen Carter and edge rusher Josh Sweat up high as he fell awkwardly to the field.

Love managed to get the football to RB Josh Jacobs before he hit the ground.

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The quarterback stayed on the field in noticeable pain. Green Bay’s medical staff tended to Love for a few moments before he walked off the field with his arms around Jacobs and a team staffer.

Backup Malik Willis replaced Love for the final two plays of the game. Willis was sacked on Green Bay’s final play as time expired.

Love was helped to the tunnel following the loss. He produced 260 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

‘Obviously, you don’t want to see the leader of your team get hurt,’ Jacobs said after the game. ‘We don’t know the severity of his injury, but hopefully he’s OK.’

The Packers signed the 25-year-old quarterback to a four-year, $220 million contract extension – tying him for title of the league’s highest-paid player – in July after his superb first year as a starter. Love led Green Bay to the postseason in 2023 and became just the third NFL quarterback to throw for over 4,000 passing yards and 32-plus touchdowns in his first season with multiple starts.

The 0-1 Packers host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2.

Saquon Barkley may not want to leave the Southern Hemisphere after Friday night. The Green Bay Packers can’t get home soon enough.

Making his debut with the Philadelphia Eagles in the first NFL game ever played in Brazil – or south of the equator – Barkley stole the show in his new team’s regular-season opener, racking up 132 yards from scrimmage and matching his career-high with three TDs in a 34-29 victory over the Pack.

But the defeat could be the least of the team’s worries, its franchise quarterback, Jordan Love, suffering an apparent lower-body injury with 6 seconds left on the game’s final drive before he was helped off the field with a heavy limp. Newly acquired backup Malik Willis took the final two snaps and was unable to move the team. Eagles linebacker Zack Baun sacked Willis at midfield on the last play of the game as time expired.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur had no update or details on Love’s status during his postgame press conference.

Barkley caught an 18-yard scoring pass from Jalen Hurts in the second quarter and followed up with a pair of TDs on the ground. But the Eagles almost put the game on ice with a 16-play, 67-yard march on their final possession, the drive ending with a field goal but not before eating up half of the fourth-quarter clock.

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Packers receiver Jayden Reed matched Barkley early on, both players reaching the end zone via air and land in the second quarter. Reed finished with 171 yards from scrimmage on five touches.

But the Green Bay defense, in its first game with new coordinator Jeff Hafley, struggled to get off the field most of the night. Offensively, the Packers came away with one touchdown in four trips to the red zone, LaFleur saying they were ‘destroyed’ there in a game he described as a ‘slop fest.’ And rookie kicker Brayden Narveson’s missed field goal at the end of the third quarter certainly didn’t help. Those mistakes essentially offset Hurts’ three turnovers – a pair of picks and a fumble charged to him even though new starting center Cam Jurgens was responsible for a bad snap on the play in question.

Playoff teams a year ago, the Packers and Eagles both look more than capable of returning in 2024 – if Love’s injury doesn’t prove serious. Otherwise, each club has plenty to clean up but time to do so, Philadelphia with a 10-day break until its next contest – a home date with the Atlanta Falcons on “Monday Night Football” in Week 2.

The Packers will host the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 15.

Here’s a look back at the major moments from the game:

Eagles vs. Packers final stats

Total yards: Packers 414, Eagles 410
First downs: Eagles 25, Packers 19
Third-down conversions: Packers 3-11, Eagles 4-14
Red zone: Packers 1-4, Eagles 3-6
Turnovers: Eagles 3, Packers 1
Jordan Love: 17/34, 260 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
Jayden Reed: 4 catches, 138 receiving yards, 1 touchdown catch, 1 carry, 33 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
Jalen Hurts: 20/34, 278 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 13 carries, 33 rushing yards
Saquon Barkley: 24 carries, 109 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 2 catches, 23 receiving yards, 1 touchdown catch
A.J. Brown: 5 catches, 119 receiving yards, 1 touchdown catch

Eagles extend lead to 34-29 late in fourth quarter

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles milked the clock all the way down to 27 seconds in the fourth quarter during a field goal drive that chewed up seven minutes and 25 seconds on the game clock.

The Eagles drove the football all the way to Green Bay’s one-yard line. But on third-and-goal from the one, Hurts fumbled the direct snap and nearly lost the football. Luckily for the Eagles, Saquon Barkley recovered the loose football to preserve a 21-yard field goal for the Eagles.

The Eagles have a 34-29 lead with 27 seconds left. 

Historic debut for Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley tallied over 127 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. His three scrimmage TDs are tied for the most by any player in a team debut in the Super Bowl era.

Packers’ field goal cuts Philly lead to two

In a game that’s clearly resembling an NFC heavyweight bout, the Green Bay Packers have been wobbling, but they return to their corner for a needed blow with another field goal in hand.

After rookie Brayden Narveson missed a 43-yard field goal at the end of the third quarter, he redeemed himself with a 26-yarder midway through the fourth, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to 31-29. In between, CB Jaire Alexander’s end zone interception staved off what could have been a knockout blow from the Eagles.

Green Bay’s subsequent drive covered 79 yards over 10 plays, RB Josh Jacobs’ 32-yard run and WR Jayden’s Reed 26-yard reception doing most of the damage. Jacobs has rushed for 76 yards since halftime after producing just 4 before the break.

Jalen Hurts throws INT in red zone

Jalen Hurts is being very charitable with the football in Brazil.

After two turnovers in the first half, Hurts forced a pass into the end zone that was picked off by Packers CB Jaire Alexander.

The interception gave Hurts three turnovers in the game (two interceptions and one fumble). But the fourth-quarter interception might’ve been his worst one yet. The ill-advised pass cost Philadelphia crucial points. The Eagles were in the red zone and could’ve settled for a short field goal which would’ve given them a 34-26 advantage.

Will John Mara sleep tonight?

As Saquon Barkley continues to tear through the Green Bay Packers defense during his debut with Philadelphia tonight, it’s hard not to flash to the offseason version of HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks,’ which featured Barkley’s original team, the New York Giants. As the team weighed whether or not to re-sign their best player during free agency or spread the money around to sign several veterans to a weakened roster, there’s no forgetting what team owner John Mara told GM Schoen as free agency was commencing. 

‘I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that,’ Mara said in Schoen’s office. ‘As I’ve told you, just being around enough players, he’s the most popular player we have, by far.’

Might want to pour yourself a strong one before you hit the hay tonight, Mr. Mara. Feels like the G-Men are already 0-1. At least.

Saquon Barkley up to three TDs in Eagles debut

The Eagles defense got their first takeaway of the night.

Packers QB Jordan Love threw off his back foot and lofted an errant pass to TE Luke Musgrave. Eagles safety Reed Blankenship came darting in and made an impressive diving catch for the interception.

Blankenship was ruled down on the Packers’ 25-yard line.

It took the Eagles just four plays to score a touchdown off the turnover.

The Eagles dialed up three runs for running back Saquon Barkley. The third run resulted in a 2-yard touchdown that lifted the Eagles to a 31-26 lead with 4:26 remaining in the third quarter.

Barkley is just the second Eagles player ever with three touchdowns in a debut. It’s the second touchdown hat trick of Barkley’s career. The running back has five touchdowns in his last two regular-season games dating back to his time with the Giants. 

Watson TD puts Pack back on top

And the scoring salvos in the Southern Hemisphere just keep coming … though Green Bay had plenty of help from the Birds on its latest TD drive.

QB Jordan Love’s 2-yard TD pass to WR Christian Watson allowed the Packers to reclaim a 26-24 third-quarter advantage. However Green Bay’s six-play, 70-yard drive was extended twice when the Eagles committed costly penalties on third down. The first came when LB Zach Baun was flagged for roughing Love, though the hit hardly looked egregious, giving the Packers a first down at the Eagles’ 46-yard line (Philadelphia was also called for pass interference on the same play, but that was declined). 

Next, Love hit TE Tucker Kraft for a 29-yard gain, and then an Avonte Maddox DPI penalty three plays later set up the Love-to-Watson strike.

A.J. Brown puts Eagles on top early in third quarter

The Eagles are off to a flying start in the second half.

Jalen Hurts found A.J. Brown deep for a 67-yard touchdown just two plays into the third quarter as Philadelphia reclaimed the lead at 24-19.

The series took just 51 seconds off the third-quarter clock. The 64-yard score is Philadelphia’s longest play of the night.

Brown has a game-high four catches, 108 receiving yards and a TD.

Halftime stats: Eagles cut into Packers’ lead

The Packers have a 19-17 advantage at halftime.

Jake Elliott connected on a 38-field goal to end the first half to cut Philly’s deficit.

The Eagles are fortunate to just be down 2 points after two first-half turnovers.

The first half featured a couple explosive plays by Green Bay, including 70-yard touchdown reception by WR Jayden Reed. However, the Packers are 2-6 on third downs and 0-2 in the red zone.

Reed and Eagles star Saquon Barkley each have two first-half touchdowns for their respective clubs.

Reed currently has a game-high 79 receiving yards. Barkley has posted 54 yards from scrimmage.

Jordan Love has 130 passing yards and a touchdown.

Jalen Hurts passed for 154 yards but has a fumble and an interception in the first half. 

Another Jayden Reed counterpunch

In a game that’s quickly devolving into a mano-a-mano battle between Eagles RB Saquon Barkley and Packers WR Jayden Reed, the latter answered a Barkley TD with one of his own for the second time Friday night, his 70-yard catch-and-run putting Green Bay back on top 19-14.

Crossing over the deep middle of the field, Reed gathered in a pass from QB Jordan Love, who had plenty of time to move up in the pocket before setting up to throw, and easily outran DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was juked to the turf, over the final 40 yards to reach the end zone. 

Reed now has 112 yards and two TDs from scrimmage on three touches tonight.

Eagles regain lead after Saquon Barkley TD run

Running back Saquon Barkley slipped on his very first carry as a Philadelphia Eagle, but he’s quickly made amends.

Barkley’s reached pay dirt on back-to-back possessions.

The Eagles running back capped off a nine-play, 70-yard drive when he took a handoff and ran up the middle for an 11-yard score.

Philadelphia has 14-12 lead with 5:34 left in the first half.

Barkley has produced 49 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in his first half as an Eagle. 

Jordan Love: QB1, Year 2

The Packers star is entering his fifth NFL season, if only his second as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. Last season, his first as QB1, he did something predecessors Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers couldn’t during their debuts as starters: Take the Pack to the playoffs. 

So what does Love do for an encore?

Both Favre and Rodgers did reach postseason in their second years as QB1 but couldn’t get as far as the Super Bowl, Rodgers winning the Lombardi Trophy in Year 3, while Favre needed until Year 5. Could Love eclipse them both? Perhaps the league’s hottest quarterback in the second half of the 2023 season, he nearly orchestrated an upset of the 49ers on the road in the divisional round – and USA TODAY Sports’ NFL experts seem to think he’ll achieve even more in 2024. Spoiler alert, our expectations approach outlandish collectively. 

Packers answer, reclaim lead

Amazing what you can do when you keep your feet.

On a night when players on both teams are clearly struggling with their footing at slippery Corinthians Arena, Packers WR Jayden Reed had no issues amid a 33-yard sprint for a go-ahead TD with 10:16 left in the second quarter. Reed took an end-around handoff from QB Jordan Love and sliced through the Philly D to cap a five-play, 70-yard drive. After a penalty on the Eagles, the Packers opted for a two-point conversion attempt, but RB Josh Jacobs came up short, limiting their lead to 12-7. Reed and RB2 Emanuel Wilson have combined for 70 yards on four carries, while Jacobs – Green Bay’s top offseason free agent signing – has 4 yards on six attempts so far.

Saquon gets first score with Eagles

The Eagles shook off a shaky start.

Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley led Philadelphia on an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to give the team a 7-6 lead with 12:38 remaining in the second quarter.

Barkley, who was the prize acquisition by the Eagles over the offseason, had an 11-yard run up the middle to put Philadelphia on Green Bay’s 28-yard line. Two plays later, Hurts hit Barkley in stride on a wheel route for an 18-yard touchdown.

The touchdown represented Barkley’s first as an Eagle and matched the number of running back TD receptions new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore had all of last year with the Chargers. 

Second matchup of $50+ million QBs

You’re looking at some very expensive arms tonight.

During the offseason, Packers QB Jordan Love signed a four-year, $220 million extension – his average annual salary ($55 million) tied with the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Jacksonville Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence for the highest in league history. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was enriched a year ago, his five-year pact averaging $51 million. 

In terms of AAV, it’s the third-most expensive QB matchup in league history, trailing only Burrow’s two showdowns with reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson ($52 million AAV) in 2023.

Packers have 6-0 lead at end of first quarter as red zone issues mount

The Packers’ red zone offense is failing them early.

Green Bay had to settle for a field goal after another Eagles turnover.

The Packers took over possession of the football on Philadelphia’s 13-yard line and went backwards. Green Bay was called for two penalties in eight plays and had to settle for a short 23-yard field goal by Brayden Narveson.

The Packers started their last two possessions inside the red zone but a lack of execution and penalties cost them each time. 

Green Bay is currently 0-2 in the red zone and 1-5 on third downs. 

Another Eagles turnover

Two drives, two turnovers for the Eagles. 

This time C Cam Jurgens, the replacement for retired star Jason Kelce, snapped the ball before QB Jalen Hurts was ready for it. The mistake was magnified by the fact Philadelphia was pinned deep in its own territory after Packers K Brayden Narveson used the new dynamic kickoff rules to nicely drop one into the landing zone and forcing the Eagles to begin the drive on their own 16-yard line. When Hurts couldn’t corral Jurgens’ misfire, Pack DL Devonte Wyatt recovered on the 13.

Jalen Hurts throws INT on first possession, but Packers settle for field goal

Saquon Barkley slipped on the very first offensive play of the Eagles’ season – and Philadelphia’s first series was all downhill from there.

On second-and-10, Jalen Hurts tossed an incomplete pass intended for WR A.J. Brown. On the ensuing play, Hurts threw an errant pass to wideout DeVonta Smith that was picked off by Packers safety Xavier McKinney and returned to Philly’s 19-yard line.

McKinney was a big offseason free-agent pickup by Green Bay.

The Packers weren’t able to capitalize despite the good field possession. Green Bay was called for an offensive holding penalty on second down and couldn’t convert on third down.

Green Bay settled for a 31-yard field goal by Brayden Narveson to take a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. 

Dawgs on defense

The Eagles have become closely affiliated with the University of Georgia in recent years, selecting Bulldogs defenders Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Kelee Ringo and Nolan Smith Jr. – all since the 2022 NFL draft.

But the Packers also have a high UGA quotient – all exclusively on the defensive side as well. S Javon Bullard, CB Eric Stokes, LB Quay Walker and DL Devonte Wyatt all played between the hedges, too, all but Bullard first-rounders take since 2021.

Eagles have strong track record in openers

The Eagles have the most season-opening victories in the NFL since 2011, winning 11 of their last 13 Week 1 contests.

Philadelphia won its first five games last season but lost six of seven (including a wild-card round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) to close the year. 

Tonight’s weather for Eagles vs. Packers in Brazil

Given Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s still technically winter, spring flowers set to bloom later this month. But the conditions at kickoff tonight should be mild: cloudy, approximately 70 degrees with light winds and little chance of rain, though it is quite humid.

Why aren’t the Eagles wearing green?

The verdant color has long been associated with Philadelphia’s color palette. But the Eagles, technically the home team tonight in Brazil, opted for a new uniform combination that includes black helmets and pants and a white jersey … rather than the Midnight Green and Kelly Green long associated with the franchise, only their jersey numbers and some trim adorned in green tonight.

Why?

The Brazilian soccer club that’s the primary tenant of the stadium, Corinthians, disapproves of green as it’s the primary color of the archrival team, Palmeiras. So the Eagles opt for black while their opponent, the Packers, are forced to wear their home green jerseys, villainous in these parts.

Eagles and Packers inactives

Packers: WR Malik Heath, 32 RB MarShawn Lloyd, DL Arron Mosby, DL Brenton Cox Jr., OT Kadeem Telfort, OT Travis Glover
Eagles: QB Tanner McKee, CB Isaiah Rodgers, LB Devin White, OLB Jalytx Hunt, G/T Darrian Kinnard, G Trevor Keegan, DT Byron Young

The Packers’ running back could be worth watching, as Green Bay could be thin in the backfield behind starter RB Josh Jacobs. Lloyd, the third-round pick out of USC, was set to be the primary backup after AJ Dillon was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a stinger. Now, the Packers might have to rely on Emanuel Wilson, a second-year back who tallied 85 yards on 14 carries last year as a rookie undrafted free agent.

How did Eagles QB3 Tanner McKee become media sensation in Brazil?

SÃO PAULO, Brazil – The Eagles held a press conference for Brazilian media members Thursday, featuring some of their key players like quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley. But it was Eagles’ third-string quarterback Tanner McKee, who has never played a down in an NFL game, who stole the proverbial show.

McKee was already well known in Brazil because he spent nearly two years in the South American country, from 2018-20, on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints. He became fluent in Portuguese during that time. And it made the media’s day when McKee took a question in Portuguese from a reporter, then answered in Portuguese, then translated it into English, even though the NFL had supplied a translator.

This is how the exchange went after the question came in: McKee said to the crowd of about 50 media members: ‘You want me to do it in Portuguese?’

Read more from The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal’s Martin Frank

Which stadium will host the Eagles-Packers game?

Friday night’s contest will be staged at São Paulo’s Corinthians Arena. The venue opened in 2014 and was used when Brazil hosted the World Cup that year. It is primarily the home of ‘Corinthians,’ the top-tier soccer club of the city.

The stadium has been modified to accommodate tonight’s NFL game, which is expected to have a sellout crowd of more than 45,000 spectators. More than 60,000 fans were able to watch World Cup fixtures here, but the temporary stands were dismantled once the tournament concluded.

“Can’t be more excited to be here,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said via NBC Sports Philadelphia as the team conducted its walkthrough Thursday. “This is my first international trip as a coach. To go out there into the stadium, to see the stadium and play here in front of the great fans here tomorrow.”

Why are some NFL games exclusively streamed?

NBCUniversal’s grip on the American sports viewer will be tightened during the first weekend of the 2024 NFL regular season with three games in four nights on their properties, including its streaming arm, Peacock.

“They’re using sports as a key part of their identity for Peacock,” media analyst John Kosner told USA TODAY Sports. 

Following the season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens on NBC, the Brazilian matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles will air exclusively on Peacock. The weekend ends with the Los Angeles Rams facing the Detroit Lions on NBC for “Sunday Night Football.” 

“So I think they can maintain the momentum,” Kosner said, “and it’s probably part of the plan for the NFL.”

What the return of investment is for Peacock and other streamers remains unclear, according to fellow streaming analyst Dan Rayburn, who contended that the NFL’s motivations hurt the average fan who wants to enjoy games with ease. 

“The NFL is more fragmented than anybody else out there from a sports league standpoint, and obviously the reason for that is money,” Rayburn told USA TODAY Sports. “That’s all it is.”

Peacock paid a reported $110 million for last season’s wild-card playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins. This year, that exclusive postseason streaming slot was awarded to Prime Video for $120 million. Netflix paid a reported $150 million for a pair of Christmas Day games, which this year will land on a Wednesday.

“The NFL is the most popular content on television in our country, so it’s clearly worth the investment,” Kosner said.

But how are fans − casual and hardcore − affected?

Read more from USA TODAY Sports’ Chris Bumbaca

What time is Eagles vs. Packers kickoff?

The two teams are set to start things off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 6.

How to watch Eagles vs. Packers

Streaming: Peacock

Friday’s game is unique in that it is the lone game of the regular season that will be exclusive to Peacock, NBC’s subscription streaming service.

Watch Eagles vs. Packers on Peacock

Eagles vs. Packers predictions

Jarrett Bell: Packers 27-24
Chris Bumbaca: Packers 30-27
Nate Davis: Packers 27-23
Tyler Dragon: Eagles 26-21
Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz: Packers 27-24
Lorenzo Reyes: Packers 24-20

Eagles vs. Packers odds, moneyline, over/under

The Eagles are favorites to defeat the Packers, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

Spread: Eagles (-2)
Moneyline: Eagles (-130); Packers (+110)
Over/under: 49

Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds and Monday Night Football odds.

New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.

Eagles vs. Packers injury report

Eagles: CB Isaiah Rodgers (out, hand), LB Devin White (out, ankle)
Packers: TE Tucker Kraft (questionable, back), RB MarShawn Lloyd (questionable, hamstring), RB Emanuel Wilson (questionable, hamstring)

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There’s a moment in the first season of ”Break Point,” the Netflix documentary series about professional tennis, when Taylor Fritz’s coaching team is urging him not to play the final of Indian Wells in 2022. 

While warming up for the biggest match of his life, Fritz had injured his ankle to the point where he came off the court unable to put any weight on it. He called it one of the worst pains he had felt. But he was going up against Rafael Nadal in the tournament he grew up attending as a kid growing up outside of San Diego, trying to win arguably the most important title outside of the Grand Slams. 

No matter the consequences, there was zero chance of Fritz pulling out. He was always going to play.

And a few hours later, he won the most significant victory of his career, 6-3, 7-6.

Fritz, a 26-year-old who has been knocking on the door of stardom for several years, can often seem too cool and a little too aloof to be an elite professional athlete. He’s got that low-key, California vibe going on at all times. You’re rarely going to see an explosion of emotion out of him regardless of how well or poorly things are going. 

But never forget that Fritz, deep down, has slowly but surely become a competitive monster on the ATP Tour. 

And it came to fruition on the biggest stage Friday night when he came from behind to beat his good friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the U.S. Open semifinals. 

With the instincts to hang on when things were going against him and the talent to finish with a flourish worthy of the moment, Fritz advances to his first Grand Slam final and will face No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner on Sunday. 

It’s a moment that has been a long time coming for Fritz, who has been the best American player for the past several years and has steadily improved during his time on the ATP Tour. 

And now, he’ll have a chance to end the 21-year drought of American players winning Grand Slams since Andy Roddick’s U.S. Open title in 2003. 

Fritz, to be sure, is going to be an underdog against Sinner, who won his first Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open and has a 54-5 record this year. But his toughness and competitive fire? That’s forever off the table as a question mark for Fritz, who lost his first four Grand Slam quarterfinals before finally breaking through at this U.S. Open.

On Friday, Fritz had to go up against an opponent who was playing out of his mind. For three-plus sets, Tiafoe was so good that it didn’t seem to matter what Fritz threw at him. Even though Fritz was playing pretty well overall, this seemed like Tiafoe’s moment.

But as he broke serve to close out the fourth set and then blitzed Tiafoe to open the fifth set, Fritz answered every question about his ability to compete at the highest level. Once considered a poor mover, Fritz was running down balls from corner to corner and extending points that wouldn’t have been possible for him a couple years ago. Once considered a player who crumbled in crunch time, Fritz made just two unforced errors in the fifth set. Once considered someone who couldn’t go the distance on the biggest stage, Fritz’s fitness and endurance blew away Tiafoe, who was a shell of himself by the end of the match.

Through no fault of his own, Fritz has gotten a fraction of the hype in America that Tiafoe and several others have received. That’s no surprise. He’s the son of two former tennis pros, groomed from the beginning of his life for success in this sport. He’s not cool enough to be a cultural icon and, at least to this point, not successful enough to break through in the mainstream. In a sport with a lot of great stories and people with interesting backgrounds, Fritz is more on the vanilla end of the spectrum.

But his appearance in this U.S. Open final is the product of steady progression, personal growth and competitive toughness in the biggest moments of his career. Is that enough to capture America’s attention? We’ll see Sunday when sports fans tune in to see if one of their countrymen can win a Grand Slam title for the first time in two decades.

Regardless of that result, though, it’s time to give Fritz some credit as the best American tennis player in a generation who has now reached the sport’s ultimate stage. As career validations go, it doesn’t get much better.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken on social media @DanWolken

There were several surprises on the opening weekend of the college football season. Miami didn’t just beat Florida. The Hurricanes dominated the Gators in the Swamp. Notre Dame also went on the road and scored a big win for its playoff hopes by taking down Texas A&M. USC and Lincoln Riley got a rare victory against an SEC team by defeating LSU in Las Vegas.

So what should we be looking for in Week 2? Which games will feature these surprises? Who could be an upset victim? History has shown these unlikely results are coming – even when they are most unexpected. But where will they take place?

That’s why the USA TODAY Sports college football staff is here. Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza, Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith, Eddie Timanus and Dan Wolken weigh in with their bold predictions for Week 1 of the college football season:

Colorado in for a rude awakening

Usually, what wins football games is what you do in the trenches and, in the fourth quarter, have some semblance of game management. Colorado failed both tests last week and still came out with a win against North Dakota State. It would behoove the Buffaloes to find a consistent running game this week against Nebraska and keep Shedeur Sanders from getting faceplanted every other play, or this game will be over by halftime. Nebraska is better equipped and has more talent and speed than when these teams met a year ago, and the Cornhuskers are poised for a season where they can at least sniff a bowl game. — Scooby Axson

Texas embarrasses Michigan

It’s obvious the Michigan Wolverines are far from the team that won a national championship in January, and it makes sense Texas heads into the highly-anticipated matchup in “The Big House” as favorites. But it won’t be an exciting contest to watch. Texas went into Alabama last season and made an emphatic statement with its victory then, and it’ll even bigger this time around. The Wolverine offense was shaky against Fresno State and the defense bailed them out. But the Michigan defense can only hold on for so long, as Quinn Ewers and company blow this game out of the water. If there’s any consolation for Michigan fans, at least they’ll get to see Arch Manning get some snaps in. — Jordan Mendoza

ON TAP: Breaking down Week 2 and the five biggest games to watch

EXPERT PICKS: Staff predictions for every Top 25 game in Week 2

Michigan gets defensive in defeat of Texas

Michigan nets two takeaways deep inside Texas territory and converts both into a pretty solid upset of the Longhorns. The way to do that seems to be slowing things down and winning the turnover battle, two factors the Wolverines used to big success under Jim Harbaugh. It’ll be hard to keep UT under wraps, but with the help of some key turnovers UM wins it 28-24.  — Paul Myerberg

Clemson needs to get over Georgia hangover

We’ve seen the script before. Appalachian State enters famed college football stadium and exits with an unexpected victory. An upset of the Tigers in Death Valley wouldn’t be as big as when the Mountaineers shocked MIchigan in 2007. But it would be a significant victory that could put them in the playoff race if they can handle the rest of their business in the Sun Belt. Will it happen? Much will depend on how Clemson handles its humbling loss last Saturday. If they don’t take Appalachian State seriously and play with the requisite emotion then it likely will be a long day and could see them start 0-2. — Erick Smith

Jalen Milroe finally gets his South Florida chance

Remember Alabama QB Jalen Milroe’s game against South Florida last season? It’s a pretty good bet that he does, because he was watching it from the sidelines.

Milroe’s benching by coach Nick Saban after the loss to Texas got the point across to all parties. The vocal fans who were calling for change got the message when they saw the offense slog to an ugly 17-3 win against the Bulls, but Milroe likewise got the memo that he needed to eliminate some bad habits for the offense to thrive.

There’s a new coaching staff in Tuscaloosa, of course, but Milroe is still running the show, and his first impression in Kalen DeBoer’s system was quite positive as he accounted for five touchdowns in little more than a half against Western Kentucky. Now that he’ll finally get to take the field against USF, expect him to be ready to show the Bulls what they missed last time out. Look for the Tide to blow past the 17-point mark by intermission, with Milroe producing at least four more scores before taking another, much happier seat on the bench in the second half. — Eddie Timanus

Baylor pulls off upset in Utah

Utah is making its Big 12 debut at home against Baylor. The Utes were picked to win the league, while Baylor came in 12th in the preseason media poll. Utah is around a two-touchdown favorite to win. This should be easy, right? Wrong. I’m picking Baylor to win this one outright in Salt Lake City. The Bears are coming off a disappointing 3-9 season, and there’s no question Dave Aranda enters this season on the hot seat. As a result, Baylor made some key changes this year – including Aranda taking a much more active role in the defense and Jake Spavital running the offense. Baylor rolled in its opener over Tarleton State, 45-3, and its defense gave up just 186 yards. Sure, it was only an FCS team but this might be a year where Baylor is a lot better than we think. We’ll find out Saturday when they beat Utah.  — Dan Wolken