Saquon Barkley has been focusing on positive thinking since changing teams for the first time in his career.
He likely couldn’t have imagined having such an impressive debut for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Barkley scored three touchdowns on Friday night in the first NFL game held in South America, leading the Eagles to a 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers, who lost quarterback Jordan Love to an injury in the final moments.
“I’m always about visualizing success and putting positivity in my mind,” Barkley said. He became the first player to score three touchdowns in his Eagles debut since Terrell Owens in 2004. “That’s one of my goals this year: Be more of a positive thinker.”
The Packers now have to push away negative thoughts as they worry about Love’s future. Love, who signed a four-year, $220 million extension this summer, limped off the field with help after getting hurt with 6 seconds left.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur had no update on Love’s condition after the game.
Backup Malik Willis was sacked by Zack Baun on the last play, stopping him from making a Hail Mary attempt from the Philadelphia 47.
“We’ve got to learn from this,” LaFleur said. “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 capitalize.”
Barkley rushed for 109 yards and scored on an 18-yard catch and runs of 11 and 2 yards. He played six seasons with the New York Giants before Philadelphia signed him to a three-year, $37.75 million contract with $26 million guaranteed.
Jalen Hurts went 20 for 34, throwing 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, in a lively atmosphere that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni compared to a playoff game.
“Man, did Brazil get a great game tonight or what?” Sirianni said. “I know we converted some people to be big-time football fans tonight.”
Green Bay’s Jayden Reed scored with a 33-yard jet sweep and a 70-yard reception, which was the longest touchdown pass of Love’s career. Reed caught Love’s pass inside the Eagles’ 40-yard line and made a move around the 30 that left safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson falling.
Reed became the first player since Hall of Famer Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns in 1963 to have both a 30-plus yard touchdown catch and a 30-plus yard touchdown run in a season opener.
Reed also had a 38-yard touchdown catch on the opening drive that was nullified because both teams had 12 players on the field. He ended the game with four catches for 138 yards.
Love was 17 for 34 with 260 yards, 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 this score with an interception, giving Philadelphia the ball at Green Bay’s 25-yard line.
The Eagles were still ahead 31-26 when Jaire Alexander intercepted Hurts in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Green Bay moved into the red zone but had to settle for a 26-yard field goal by rookie Brayden Narveson, who made 3 of his 4 attempts.
Philadelphia managed the game well until Jake Elliott made a 21-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining.
Earlier this week, some Eagles players had expressed hesitation about traveling to Brazil, which meant missing the chance to play their season opener at Lincoln Financial Field in front of their home fans.
Instead, the crowd at NeoQuimica Arena was a mix of Packers fans, Eagles fans, and spectators who cheered for any positive play. The Eagles were satisfied with the experience.
“I don’t know if Sao Paulo knows when to cheer, but it was great,” Brown said. “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.”
Players from both teams were slipping on the field during the first half, leading many to change their cleats. A Brazilian soccer league game was held in the stadium five days earlier.
NeoQuimica Arena’s field is often praised by soccer players as the best in Brazil, but it had never hosted an American football game before. The field combines both grass and synthetic fiber.
The slippery field might have led to a rough start.
Philadelphia turned the ball over on their first two series, giving Green Bay consecutive red zone drives, but the Packers could only score field goals each time.
“The red area was a huge problem tonight,” LaFleur said. “I would say a year ago, we were pretty damn good in that area. And we got destroyed in that area tonight.”
The offenses took control in the second and third quarters, with six out of seven possessions resulting in touchdowns.
