Philadelphia Eagles make winning start to NFL season in dramatic victory over Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo; Eagles running back Saquon Barkley scores three touchdowns on debut; Packers quarterback Jordan Love injured on final drive; Brazil hosts first NFL game in South America
Saturday 7 September 2024 23:42, UK
Saquon Barkley scored three touchdowns on his debut for Philadelphia, leading the Eagles past the Green Bay Packers 34-29 on Friday night as Brazil hosted the first NFL game in South America.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love limped off the field with assistance after getting injured with six seconds remaining in Sao Paulo. Backup Malik Willis was sacked by Zack Baun on the final play of the game, preventing him from launching a Hail Mary from the Philadelphia 47.
Barkley rushed for 109 yards and scored on an 18-yard catch and runs of 11 and two yards. Barkley spent six seasons with the New York Giants before the Eagles signed him to a three-year, $37.75 million (£28.7m) deal with $26 million (£19.8m) guaranteed.
He became the first player to score three touchdowns on his Eagles debut since Terrell Owens in 2004.
Jalen Hurts was 20 of 34 for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Eagles. AJ Brown caught five passes for 119 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown.
Green Bay's Jayden Reed scored on a 33-yard jet sweep and a 70-yard reception, which was the longest touchdown completion of Love's career. Reed caught Love's pass inside Philadelphia's 40 and made a move at around the 30 that sent safety CJ Gardner-Johnson sprawling.
Reed became the first player to have a touchdown catch of 30-plus yards and a touchdown run of 30-plus yards in a season opener since Hall of Famer Jim Brown did it for the Cleveland Browns against Washington in 1963.
Reed also had an apparent 38-yard touchdown reception on the opening drive get wiped out because both teams had 12 men on the field. He finished with four catches for 138 yards.
Love went 17 of 34 for 260 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Green Bay Packers:
Philadelphia Eagles:
Barkley's third touchdown put the Eagles ahead 31-26 with 4:26 left in the third quarter. Reed Blankenship set up that score with an interception that gave Philadelphia the ball at Green Bay's 25.
The Eagles still led 31-26 when Jaire Alexander intercepted Hurts in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Green Bay drove into the red zone but settled for a 26-yard field goal by rookie Brayden Narveson, who went 3 for 4 on his attempts.
Philadelphia then controlled possession until Jake Elliott kicked a 21-yard field goal with 27 seconds left.
Some Eagles players had expressed reluctance earlier this week about traveling to Brazil, which cost them the opportunity to play their season opener at home. The crowd at NeoQuimica Arena instead was balanced among Packers fans, Eagles fans and spectators who just cheered any positive development.
Players from both teams were slipping on the playing surface throughout the first half. A Brazilian Serie A football match was played in the stadium five days earlier.
NeoQuimica Arena's field is often praised by football players as Brazil's best, but it had never hosted an American football game. The hybrid field includes both grass and synthetic fibre.
The slippery surface may have contributed to a sloppy start.
The Eagles committed turnovers on each of their first two series, enabling Green Bay to start back-to-back drives in the red zone, but the Packers settled for field goals both times.
Then the offenses took over. Six of the next seven possessions resulted in touchdowns.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley: "I'm always about visualising success and putting positivity in my mind. That's one of my goals this year: be more of a positive thinker."
Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown: "I don't know if Sao Paulo knows when to cheer, but it was great. It was loud the entire time. They kind of got a bad rap. We got a whole bunch of 'Don't do's,' but it's been great ever since we got here."
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur: "We've got to learn from this, because, just watching the tape, and I'm not trying to take anything away from Philly - they battled and they played their game - but I think there was a lot of opportunities that we didn't capitalise.
"The red area was a huge problem tonight. I would say a year ago, we were pretty damn good in that area. And we got destroyed in that area tonight."
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson on Jordan Love's injury: "We know what kind of guy he is, how he approaches everything. Whatever it is, I know he's going to get through it. We're going to get through it."
After a nervous wait regarding the condition of Love, the Packers will host their opening home game against the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday. The Eagles will play in their own home stadium against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football, live on Sky Sports NFL.
Watch the Atlanta Falcons take on the Pittsburgh Steelers from 6pm live on Sky Sports on Sunday September 8, followed by the Dallas Cowboys at the Cleveland Browns from 9.25pm and the Los Angeles Rams at the Detroit Lions at 1.20am Monday morning. Also stream with NOW.
