Eagles win opener behind Saquon Barkley's historic 3 TD debut
New Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley put together one of the all-time great NFL debuts, recording over 100 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns in an Eagles Week 1 win over the Packers on Friday night in Brazil.
Barkley rushed 24 times for 109 yards and two scores and caught two of two targets for 23 more yards and a third touchdown. Barkley and Terrell Owens are the only players to score three touchdowns in their Eagles' debuts.
Barkley, 27, signed a three-year $37.75 million deal ($26 million guaranteed) with the Eagles this offseason, as the New York Giants let him go to free-agency.
After Barkley broke an explosive 34-yard run at the end of the third quarter of Friday night's season opener, Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons posted on X, "The Giants should be under investigation!"
LeBron James also posted about Barkley on X.
Barkley joined 94WIP last week explaining how refreshing it was to get a new start in Philadelphia.
"It has definitely been a fresh start for me, that's probably been the biggest blessing," Barkley told the 94WIP Morning Show eight days before the Eagles' season opener in Brazil. "I love the way things are run here from top to bottom. I think coach does a really good job of focusing on his players and listening to his players. The city, that practice we had the other—I spoke on it before—but we had an open practice and it was like 50,000 fans. I don't truly know if other places are doing something like that. You can just feel the passion. I know we're talking about golf, if I'm at a golf course—they'll wait 'til after I hit the golf shot, but after I hit the golf shot you'll get a loud, 'Go Birds!' chant. For me it's just fun, the city is full of passion, the fan base is full of passion, and to have a fresh start it's something that I definitely needed, it's something that me and my family definitely needed. My family can see a difference in me even at home, so I'm super excited and thankful from Howie and just thank God for giving me this opportunity."
Jalen Hurts had an up and down game, completing 20 of 34 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, but also throwing two ugly interceptions and accounting for a lost fumble on a bad snap from new center Cam Jurgens in the first quarter.
However, Hurts put together an incredible game-clinching drive in the fourth quarter. Hurts ran 13 times for 33 yards, including a big eight-yard rush late in the fourth quarter.
