Saquon Barkley thrills Eagles, explodes for 3 TDs in debut

SAO PAULO — Running back Saquon Barkley scored three touchdowns in his Philadelphia Eagles debut to help lift his new team to a 34-29 win over the Green Bay Packers on Friday.

As a member of the Brazil media noted to Barkley afterward, that’s a “hat trick” in soccer parlance.

Barkley finished with 109 rushing yards and became just the second player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in his first game, joining Terrell Owens, who did it in 2004.

“He had a hell of a game tonight,” quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “It’s exciting to watch him play. I’m happy that he’s on our side. Just going to keep pressing forward. But what a debut for him.”

Barkley got the Eagles on the board early in the second quarter when he hauled in an 18-yard pass from Hurts in the left corner of the end zone.

“I’m the first person to ever score in South America,” Barkley said. “That’s cool.”

“From the first catch, he was just balling,” offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “Every time he scored, I was hauling ass up there trying to celebrate with him.”

Johnson had two more opportunities, as Barkley added a pair of rushing scores.

It was the type of impact the front office was hoping for when it inked him to a three-year, $37.75 million contract in free agency.

Barkley has had months to envision what it would be like to play behind this offensive line and alongside playmakers such as Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. What he pictured was “kind of similar to this, I guess you could say.”

“I think it’s so special that out of all the guys we have on this team that’s so talented, and today might have been my day scoring touchdowns, it was never no hate, no none of that,” Barkley said. “It was like, ‘Go ahead, go get four.’ That’s what you need with a team like this that has so many stars. It’s going to continue be like that going into the season.”