The Philadelphia Eagles left São Paulo, Brazil, with a thrilling 34-29 season-opening victory over the Green Bay Packers, showcasing an impressive debut for running back Saquon Barkley in his new Eagles uniform. Barkley, formerly of the New York Giants, delivered a standout performance, rushing for 109 yards on 24 carries and scoring two touchdowns on the ground, with an additional touchdown through the air. His dynamic play set the tone for an Eagles offense that flourished in Week 1 under the direction of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Moore, who took over play-calling duties this season after serving as the Chargers' offensive coordinator, replaced Brian Johnson following the Eagles' disappointing NFC wild-card playoff loss last year. The impact of Moore's influence on the Eagles’ offense was evident from the first snap, particularly in his use of motion to create mismatches and confusion for the Packers' defense.
Under Johnson, Philadelphia used motion just 35.1% of the time last season, the lowest rate in the league. In contrast, Moore’s offense employed motion on 48 of 73 plays against Green Bay — an aggressive 65.8%, marking their highest usage in a single game since 2020, according to Next Gen Stats.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts finished with 278 yards on 20-of-34 passing, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Yet, per Next Gen Stats, Hurts was significantly more effective when plays incorporated motion, completing 15 of 21 passes for 212 yards, including both of his touchdowns. Conversely, both interceptions occurred on plays with motion, and he struggled without it, going just 5 of 13 for 66 yards when the offense remained static.
Under Moore’s innovative play-calling, the Eagles demonstrated a willingness to adapt and evolve offensively, and their Week 1 performance suggests that they are prepared to capitalize on their new identity moving forward.
At -130, the Eagles remain the favorite to win the NFC East and are tied with the Lions at +475 to win the NFC, sitting only behind the 49ers.
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