SÃO PAULO – The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles flew all the way to Brazil to open their 2024 season.

It was an evening full of firsts: the NFL’s first game in the Southern Hemisphere, the first opening game on a Friday since 1970, and the first time running back Saquon Barkley played for the Eagles.

After a slow start to the game, both teams traded blows in the second quarter, with two touchdowns from Barkley and two from Green Bay receiver Jayden Reed.

The second half was back and forth before the Eagles pulled away and secured the 34-29 victory in Week 1.

Here is the most important information for Friday evening for both teams:

Philadelphia Eagles

It was the Saquon Barkley show for the whole world to see.

In his debut for the Philadelphia Eagles, Barkley wowed the sold-out Arena Corinthians stadium, running for more than 100 yards and scoring three touchdowns to help the Eagles defeat the Green Bay Packers.

That’s exactly what Eagles officials hoped for when they signed him to a three-year, $37.75 million contract this spring. He was a force on the ground and in the air, as evidenced by his 18-yard touchdown pass down the left sideline in the second quarter. They expected him to be revitalized – behind a better offensive line than the New York Giants and alongside a host of playmakers like receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith – and the 27-year-old looked the part.

Barkley is the second Eagles player in franchise history to score three touchdowns in his team debut, following Terrell Owens in 2004.

There’s still a long way to go – Barkley has to prove he can stay healthy over the course of a 17-game season and beyond – but he’s off to a sensational start.

QB Breakdown: Jalen Hurts had an inconsistent performance. He threw two interceptions and was blamed for a lost fumble. His pick in the end zone early in the fourth quarter could have cost his team the game. But he led a game-winning drive in the closing minutes and helped the Eagles take a win in Philadelphia.

Stunning statistics: The Eagles’ 35 first-quarter yards were their fewest in an opening quarter since Week 17 of 2022 against the Saints, when a Gardner Minshew-led team had just two yards. They only went scoreless in the first quarter twice last season, losing both games (Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 18 against the New York Giants).

Worrying trend: A defense that has struggled in 2023 was porous for much of the game, a reminder that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio won’t solve the problem overnight. There were a number of missed tackles and explosive plays that got them down, as evidenced by Reed’s 70-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. The good news: The Packers were only able to score one touchdown in four red-zone trips.

Next game: vs. Atlanta Falcons (8:15 p.m. ET, Monday, September 16)

Green Bay Packers

One might have expected that the Packers’ defense was still developing and that they might have problems kicking, given that this was the debut of the defense of new coordinator Jeff Hafley and rookie kicker Brayden Narveson.

But Jordan Love and the offense were expected to pick up where they left off last season – as one of the league’s strongest units. But they couldn’t keep up with the Eagles and Love couldn’t finish the game. He had to be carried off the field on the third-to-last play, apparently because of a lower leg injury. In his first game since signing a four-year, $220 million contract extension this summer.

On a slippery field where Love lost his footing and appeared to be battling calf problems, he completed just 17 of 34 passes. And although he threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, it wasn’t enough to overcome Barkley’s onslaught on Hafley’s defense and a late missed field goal.

Promising trend: Reed’s 10 touchdowns (eight receiving touchdowns, two running touchdowns) in his rookie season were no fluke. It remains to be seen if he will become the Packers’ best receiver in year two, but his talent for making big plays seems genuine. With a 33-yard rushing touchdown on an end-around and a 70-yard receiving touchdown, Reed became the third player in the last 40 years to record a 70-yard receiving touchdown and a 30-yard rushing touchdown in the same game.

Worrying trend: It wasn’t the best debut for Narveson. After making short field goals of 31 and 23 yards and his first two extra points, the rookie, who was claimed off waivers last week, hit the right upright and missed a 43-yard field goal late in the third quarter. He recovered and made his next one, a 26-yard field goal, in the fourth quarter. Narveson became the sixth kicker on the Packers’ roster since the end of last season and was GM Brian Gutekunst’s choice after a training camp contest between Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph failed to produce a clear decision.

Worrying trend II: Maybe it was just a problem in the opening play, but penalties have hurt the Packers throughout. They committed red zone holding penalties on both of their first-quarter drives and had to settle for field goals. In the third quarter, they received two illegal shift penalties on the same drive and had to punt. When they needed a stop at the end to get the ball back, defensive tackle Kenny Clark was flagged for a defensive holding on a third-down play. In total, they were given 10 penalties for 71 yards.

Decisive game: There’s never a good time for an interception, but Love’s in the third quarter came about as inopportunely as possible for the Packers. Holding on to a 26-24 lead, Love was pushed back into Eagles territory. He floated a pass over the middle to tight end Luke Musgrave, which safety Reed Blankenship intercepted. This led to another Barkley touchdown, putting the Eagles ahead 31-26.

Next game: vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 15)