Saquon Barkley scores 3 TDs as Eagles beat Packers in Brazil

Saquon Barkley scored three touchdowns in his debut for Philadelphia, leading the Eagles past the Green Bay Packers 34-29 on Friday night in the first NFL game in South America.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love limped off the field with assistance after getting injured with 6 seconds left. 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 2 yards. Barkley spent six seasons with the New York Giants before Philadelphia signed him to a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million guaranteed.

He became the first player to score three touchdowns in 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. A.J. 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 C.J. 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 of 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.

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 in front of a friendly crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. 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 soccer league game was played in the stadium five days earlier.

NeoQuimica Arena’s field is often praised by soccer players as Brazil’s best, but it had never hosted an American football game. The hybrid field includes both grass and synthetic fiber.

The slippery surface may have contributed to a sloppy start.

Philadelphia committed turnovers on each of its 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 LB Devin White (ankle) didn’t play. The Packers were missing RBs AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd. Dillon went on injured reserve last week with a neck issue, and Lloyd was out with a hamstring injury.

Eagles: Host Atlanta on Monday, Sept. 16.

Originally Published: September 7, 2024 at 12:10 a.m.