The Eagles looked inexperienced in their first start of the 2024 season, but improvements from last year were noticed.

Article by Hayden Sudall, Junior Sports Analyst

SÃO PAULO - The Philadelphia Eagles traveled to São Paulo this Friday for the first ever NFL game in Brazil, where they narrowly beat the Green Bay Packers with a final score of 29-34. The game debuted recently hired defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore schemes left many fans with mixed expectations for the season. While the Eagles first game was ugly due to many factors, the team flashed their talents on both sides of the ball.

“It was definitely sloppy... but we were able as a football team to persevere through some dark moments,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni.

The offense had a rough start to the year, specifically Jalen Hurts who had looked unstoppable throughout preseason practices. He threw into quadruple coverage allowing cornerback Xavier McKinney to intercept his pass on the first drive of the game.

On the very next offensive attempt Hurts miscued center Cam Jurgens resulting in a fumbled snap and turnover on the Eagles 13-yard line. He then threw his second interception to cornerback Xavier Mckinney while trying to signal AJ Brown late in the fourth quarter. Poor field conditions affected Hurts’ performance tonight, but fans expected the rust as he didn’t participate in any preseason games.

Despite the previous topic of discussion there were many bright spots to this game on both offense and defense. Saquon Barkley played his first game as an Eagles running back scoring three total touchdowns with 109 yards rushing and 34 yards receiving. His debut game silenced doubters and Giants fans who believed his best years were behind him.

AJ Brown caught a 67-yard touchdown putting Philadelphia in the lead returning from halftime and finished with 119 receiving yards. Devonta Smith may have had less yards, but he played a pivotal role in progressing the ball downfield finishing with 84 total receiving yards. His two second down catches helped take time off the clock at the end of the 4th quarter and progressed the eagles downfield toward their victory.

New right guard Mekhi Becton pushed his way into the spotlight this week not letting up a sack, and rarely allowing pressure. He has made incredible strides at the position he just learned this summer under offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. After being cut from the New York Jets his goal is to prove himself as a guard and earn a long-time role on the roster.

On the defensive end safety Reed Blankenship had himself a strong start with 8 tackles and an interception benefitting the Eagles after the half. Then late into the third quarter he stopped Packers running back Josh Jacobs in the red zone to prevent a touchdown. Blankenship intends to continue his reliability through this year and exceed his previous personal record of 103 tackles and 3 interceptions.

Rookie Quinyon Mitchell proved his worth finishing with 5 tackles and 2 passes defended. The defensive real star however was linebacker Zach Baun who had a field day with the Green Bay offense delivering 15 tackles and 2 sacks that sealed the game for Philadelphia.

Both sides of the ball are seeking to eliminate their imperfections in the upcoming game against the Falcons on September 16th. It will mark the first Eagles home game of the 2024 season and a chance for the defensive line to prove themselves against a talented Falcons offensive line.