The 2018 NFL season has arrived, as Thursday Night Football will feature the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons in a rematch of a NFC Divisional game.
Week 1 of the regular season is finally here, and the first game of 2018 will occur this Thursday night in Philadelphia with the Atlanta Falcons facing the host Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field where the Eagles will raise their Super Bowl champion banner on Thursday Night Football.
The start of the defense of their championship isn’t easy with a rematch of an NFC Divisional game right out of the gate as it will be Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Vic Beasley and the rest of the Falcons looking to avenge their playoff loss this past January.
Atlanta has been one of the top teams in the NFL in recent memory, as it was just two years ago they played in the Super Bowl and nearly won that championship, and last season they were just two wins away from returning to the biggest game in sports. The Falcons finished 10-6 last season, third place in the NFC South, and made the playoffs as a No. 6 seed.
The Eagles are the stars of this game and the team all want to see in Week 1 with them being a dominant team in 2017 with a 13-3 record. On their path to the Super Bowl championship, the Eagles defeated the Falcons, Minnesota Vikings and the Patriots, where they won the title by a 41-33 score.
One player to watch for the Eagles is Nick Foles, who will be starting at quarterback in Week 1 with Carson Wentz still not being cleared to play in the regular season as his knee injury recovery continues. Foles played the best games of his career in the playoffs last season and was a big reason for them winning the championship.
This preseason, Foles hasn’t played up to that level, so it will be interesting to see if he’s able to flip the switch or have the dreaded “Super Bowl hangover.” The Falcons and Eagles will kick off this Thursday night (Sept. 6) at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.