Normally, the Philadelphia Eagles don’t have to explain to their fans how to influence the game. But ahead of Friday night’s season opener against the Green Bay Packers – which is actually considered a home game for Philadelphia but is being played in Brazil – Eagles coach Nick Sirianni didn’t want to take any chances.

“I’ll tell the Brazilian crowd, we’re so excited to be here,” Sirianni told reporters Thursday. “Make sure you’re as loud as you can when Green Bay has the ball, and then when the Eagles have the ball, make sure” — as Sirianni flapped his arms as if they were wings — “that’s a sign of that — ‘Fly Eagles Fly,’ and be a little bit quieter.”

Beyond the fan tutorials, the Eagles will have a chance to see how much all their offseason changes turned the tide after a late-season collapse. New offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and his counterpart on the defensive side, Vic Fangio, will finally be able to see what the new schemes and acquisitions will do to help the Eagles not only close the 2023 chapter, but complete the climb to the summit they narrowly missed in 2022.

Or as Fangio put it: “The most curious thing is to know how good we are.”

While much will depend on how Jalen Hurts is used in Moore’s offense and Saquon Barkley can reach new levels behind a superior offensive line, several new players on defense also have a chance to make an early impact. Nakobe Dean, for example, will get a chance to start at linebacker after Devin White suffered an ankle injury that kept him out for Week 1. But the reality is that Dean has been praised by his coaches all training camp and might have gotten the starting job anyway.

“I think he had a good camp. He was consistent all camp,” Sirianni said. “…Nakobe has shined all camp with his leadership, his playmaking ability and his tackling. I’m really excited for Nakobe’s chance tomorrow. He’s a really good player. He’s been dealing with some injuries the whole time, but we’ve been pretty darn excited about him from the moment he walked into this building. I’m excited for the chance he gets tomorrow to play in the season opener.”

Dean’s fellow 2022 draft pick Jordan Davis should take on an expanded role as defensive tackle, along with 2023 first-round pick Jalen Carter. Haason Reddick isn’t coming through that door, and neither is Fletcher Cox. So the moment the Eagles spent two first-round picks on is finally here. Are they ready?

“We’ll see,” Fangio said. “They haven’t been pressured like they potentially could be pressured in this game, as far as the number of plays they might have to run. So that’s not yet determined.” He had a similar sentiment about defensive ends Brandon Graham and Bryce Huff. If they can all assume full-time roles, the defense will be special. But best-case scenarios rarely happen in the NFL.

While those questions remain unanswered for Fangio, what was equally notable was how effusive he was in his praise of Quinyon Mitchell. He said he was ready to be a cornerback just in case, and he recognized that immediately, he said.

“Pretty quickly because we started him out as a nickelback and he did well there,” Fangio said. “I think for him personally, it would be good to secure a spot because while we’re very happy with his development and his ability to learn, he’s still a rookie and I think if he can get comfortable in one spot, that would be to his advantage. But we may not be able to do that.”

What the Eagles will do, for better or for worse, is answer all of those questions. That’s as certain as the legion of fans watching at home in Philadelphia who know exactly how to wave their arms.