The Philadelphia Eagles‘ season started as expected with a solid win against the Green Bay Packers in the first NFL game ever held in Brazil. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, as several players voiced concerns about the condition of the field, with QB Jalen Hurts being one of the most prominent critics.
After the game, where Nick Sirianni’s team defeated the Packers 34-29, several key players expressed their dissatisfaction with the condition of the field given the importance of the match.
One of them was none other than Eagles’ star QB Jalen Hurts, who, in post-game comments to Tim McManus of ESPN.com, stated: “I mean, y’all saw out there that it was kind of rough to get traction,”
“Definitely challenging on that field. It’s not the type of field we’re used to playing on. We’ve had that type of field before. They had to play on it, as well. I’m just happy that we found a way to figure it out as a team, overcome it.”, former Oklahoma University stated.
Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks to pass during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Arena Corinthians on September 06, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Concerns were also voiced by other key figures
Both Eagles and Packers players faced significant challenges adjusting to the field conditions at Arena Corinthians. In a game notable for being the first NFL matchup held in South America, things didn’t go as smoothly as expected.
Following Jalen Hurts’ remarks after the game, safety Xavier McKinney, former teammate of Saquon Barkley with the Giants, also commented on the difficulty of getting traction on the field, stating: “There were some cases where I was slipping”.
Finally, Eagles TE Dallas Goedert compared the condition of the field to that of the one used in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, which was also notably slippery.
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled by Xavier McKinney #29 of the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at Arena Corinthians on September 06, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Eagles and Packers next matchups
Following their debut in the new NFL season, both the Eagles and Packers will face challenging matchups ahead. Here are the upcoming games for both Philadelphia and Green Bay.
Philadelphia Eagles:
- Week 2 vs. Atlanta Falcons
- Week 3 vs. New Orleans Saints
- Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 5 vs. Bye Week
Green Bay Packers:
- Week 2 vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Week 3 vs. Tennessee Titans
- Week 4 vs. Minnesota Vikings
- Week 5 vs. Los Angeles Rams
