International Football League

Some big matchups during the 2023 NFL season will be played overseas.

The league officially announced the upcoming slate of international games, three in London and two to be played in Frankfurt, Germany for the first time. 

First up on the schedule is a battle between the Jacksonville Jaguars, coming off a playoff season under former Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson’s first year at the helm, and the reloaded Atlanta Falcons in Week 4. 

While the Jaguars are frequent visitors to London, they will make history as the first team to ever play two international games as they are also scheduled for a Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

In Week 6, the Baltimore Ravens and their revamped receiving room headlined by Odell Beckham Jr. and 2023 first round pick Zay Flowers take on the Tennessee Titans. 

For the first Frankfurt game in Week 9, the NFL chose a revenge game with five-time All Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill facing his former team for the first time, the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. 

The international series concludes in Week 10 with a matchup between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts, presumably with first round quarterback Anthony Richardson behind center.

The rest of the NFL schedule will be released on Thursday, May 11 at 8 p.m. EST.

Action Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens are ready for a shakeup under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who gave his first press conference during the team’s first day of voluntary workouts. 

With the additions of Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers, and Nelson Agholor to add to a pass catching unit that already featured Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman, franchise QB Lamar Jackson may have the luxury to spend more time in the pocket instead of being over-relied on for his legs.

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Running quarterbacks often find themselves choosing their spots more as they age, as is what happened with Hall of Famer Steve Young as well as former Eagles QBs Randall Cunningham and Michael Vick. 

Though Jackson is only 26 years old, he is coming off of two consecutive season ending injuries. 

While Jackson’s dynamic run game element may evolve, Monken stressed it will not be eliminated. 

It is, after all, part of what makes the 2019 NFL MVP special – as he has already tallied the fifth most career rushing yards by a QB in league history (4,437) in 73 less games than anyone ahead of him

Redshirt Rookie

The Detroit Lions took a highly regarded QB prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft, but Jared Goff remains their guy for now.

Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell told former Eagle Chris Long on his podcast that they are giving third round pick Hendon Hooker a “redshirt year.”

Hooker was one the top college QBs in the country during the 2022 season, leading Tennessee to a 9-2 record before a torn ACL cut his season short.  

Meanwhile, Goff put forth one of his most efficient seasons yet with 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns compared to just nine interceptions.

2023 will be a major test for Goff as Detroit loads up on both sides of the ball to take over a wide open NFC North.  

– Benjamin Paul is a staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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