The energy was weird from the jump. You had two historic NFL franchises—the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers—playing on a soccer pitch in São Paulo, Brazil. It was Friday night. It was humid. The field looked like a slip-and-slide. Everyone was obsessed with the eagles and green bay score because, honestly, nobody knew if these teams were actually ready for Week 1.
By the time the clock hit zero, the scoreboard read 34-29 in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles. But that number doesn't even come close to telling the full story of what went down at Corinthians Arena. It was a messy, high-octane, cardiovascular nightmare that left both fanbases feeling a mix of euphoria and absolute dread.
The Scoreboard Lied About the Quality of Play
If you just looked at the box score, you’d think it was a masterpiece. It wasn't. It was chaos. Saquon Barkley, making his debut in Midnight Green, scored three touchdowns. Three. He looked like the version of Saquon that Giants fans try to forget exists. He had a receiving touchdown where he tracked a Jalen Hurts loft like a center fielder, and two rushing scores that proved his thighs are still basically made of granite.
But then you look at Jalen Hurts.
He threw two interceptions that were, quite frankly, baffling. One was a heave into triple coverage that had no business being thrown. The other was a miscommunication that made the Eagles' new "Kellen Moore" offense look like it was still downloading on slow Wi-Fi. The eagles and green bay score stayed close because Philadelphia couldn't stop shooting itself in the foot. Every time they looked like they were going to pull away, a turnover or a goofy penalty kept Matt LaFleur’s squad in the hunt.
The Packers weren't much cleaner. Jordan Love, fresh off a massive contract extension that made him one of the highest-paid players in league history, looked rusty. He finished 17 of 34 for 260 yards. Not terrible, but the accuracy just wasn't there. Jayden Reed was the absolute bright spot for Green Bay, though. He had a 33-yard rushing touchdown and a 70-yard receiving score. He’s basically a human highlight reel. If the Packers didn't have Reed, that final score would have been a blowout.
That Slippery Turf and the "Slip Count"
We have to talk about the grass. Or the hybrid grass. Or whatever that green stuff was.
Players were falling over like they were in a Three Stooges skit. Saquon slipped on his very first carry. It was embarrassing for the NFL, honestly. You've got these billion-dollar athletes playing on a surface that seemed specifically designed to tear ACLs.
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"The field was definitely a factor," Hurts mentioned after the game, in that stoic way he always talks.
It changed how the game was played. Pass rushers couldn't bend around the edge because their feet would just wash out from under them. Wide receivers were rounding off their routes instead of cutting sharply. This is why the eagles and green bay score got so high—the defenders literally couldn't stay on their feet to make tackles. It turned into a game of "who can stay upright the longest."
Key Turning Points in the Second Half
- The Saquon "Power Hour": In the third quarter, the Eagles decided to stop overthinking it and just hand the ball to number 26. He punished the Green Bay line.
- The Reed Response: Every time Philly scored, Jayden Reed seemed to find a hole in the Eagles' secondary. Quinyon Mitchell, the Eagles' rookie corner, actually held his own, but the safety play for Philadelphia was... let's say "questionable."
- The Injury That Changed Everything: With seconds left on the clock, Jordan Love went down.
That last one is the reason nobody in Wisconsin cared about the final score for about 48 hours. When Love grabbed his lower leg, the entire NFL world held its breath. It was a Josh Jacobs lateral gone wrong, a pile-up, and then a franchise quarterback writhing in pain.
The Jordan Love Scare and the Backup Reality
Malik Willis had to come in for the final two plays. Imagine that. You’re down by five, you need a miracle, and your franchise guy is on the sideline. Willis looked lost—which is fair, considering he’d been on the team for about ten minutes at that point. He got sacked. Game over.
The initial fear was an ACL tear. The internet experts (who usually have no idea what they're talking about) were diagnosing him with season-ending injuries within minutes. Luckily for Green Bay, it turned out to be a Grade 1/2 MCL sprain. Bad? Yes. Season-ending? No.
But back to the eagles and green bay score. The 34-29 result meant the Eagles started 1-0 for the third straight year under Nick Sirianni. It also meant the Packers started 0-1, but with a weird sense of optimism because their offense actually looked explosive when it wasn't slipping on the turf.
Defensive Disasters and New Faces
Vic Fangio was supposed to fix the Eagles' defense. He’s the "godfather" of the modern NFL shell defense. But for most of the night, the Eagles looked just as vulnerable as they did during their late-season collapse last year. They struggled with mobile quarterbacks. They struggled with crossing routes.
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However, Zack Baun—a guy most people ignored in free agency—had 15 tackles and two sacks. He was everywhere. He looked like the second coming of Chuck Bednarik for a minute there. Reed Blankenship also snagged a crucial interception that stalled a Packers drive when they had all the momentum.
On the Green Bay side, Jeff Hafley’s new defensive scheme showed flashes. They forced turnovers. They were aggressive. Xavier McKinney, their big-money safety acquisition, got an interception in his first game as a Packer. That’s exactly what they paid him for. But they couldn't stop the run. If you can’t stop the run in the NFL, you’re eventually going to lose, especially against a team with an offensive line as good as Philadelphia's.
Why This Specific Score Matters for the Season
Winning in Week 1 is a massive statistical advantage for making the playoffs. The Eagles walked away from South America with a "W," but with a lot of film that Sirianni probably hated watching.
- Turnover Margin: The Eagles lost the turnover battle but won the game. That almost never happens in the NFL. It’s a testament to their raw talent but a red flag for their discipline.
- Red Zone Efficiency: Philly was better in the red zone. That’s the "Saquon Effect."
- Conditioning: Both teams looked gassed by the middle of the fourth quarter. The travel to Brazil is no joke. It's a 10-hour flight. The body clocks were all messed up.
People will look back at the eagles and green bay score as the moment Saquon Barkley proved he was worth every penny of that $37.75 million contract. It was also the moment the league realized the Packers are going to be a problem in the NFC, provided Jordan Love stays upright.
What Most Fans Missed
While everyone was watching the touchdowns, the real battle was in the trenches. Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson were absolute anchors for Philly. They gave Hurts a clean pocket for most of the night, even when the turf was giving way. On the flip side, the Packers' offensive line struggled to pick up the blitz in the second half.
There was also the "Brazil factor." The crowd was incredible, but they cheered at weird times. They cheered for big punts. They cheered for kickoffs. It felt like a festival that happened to have a football game in the middle of it. The noise levels were inconsistent, which actually helped the offenses communicate better than they usually do in loud away stadiums.
Actionable Takeaways for Football Fans
If you're tracking the trajectory of these two teams based on that 34-29 outcome, keep these things in mind.
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First, don't overreact to Jalen Hurts' interceptions. It was Week 1 in a foreign country on a bad field. However, keep an eye on his decision-making in the pocket. He’s still holding the ball a split second too long.
Second, if you're a Packers fan, the sky isn't falling. The defense is creating more turnovers than it did under Joe Barry. That’s a win. Once Love is 100%, this offense is easily top-five in the league.
Third, Saquon Barkley is the focal point now. The "Brotherly Shove" is still there, but the Eagles' identity has shifted. They are a downhill running team again.
The eagles and green bay score served as a chaotic, slip-filled introduction to the 2024-2025 season. It wasn't pretty, but it was exactly the kind of drama that makes the NFL the biggest show on earth. Philadelphia proved they are still heavyweights, and Green Bay proved they aren't going anywhere.
Going forward, watch how the Eagles handle the blitz in upcoming weeks. Teams will see the Brazil film and try to replicate the pressure that forced Hurts into those bad throws. For Green Bay, it's all about the health of Love's knee. If he's back quickly, that 0-1 start won't mean a thing by November.
For those looking to dig deeper, check the official NFL GameBook for the full drive summaries and advanced player participation charts. The snap counts for the Eagles' wide receivers tell a very interesting story about how much they trust their depth behind AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. spoiler: they don't. It's the "Big Two" and then a whole lot of nothing. That's something to watch as the season grinds on.