Q1 14:53Noah Eagle:So Kelee Ringo adds an extra couple of yards there, and that is part of this dynamic kickoff. You've got to make sure that you're staying within your expected space before that ball eventually touches either the landing zone or the end zone. And right there, not quite exactly where it needed to be. So it brings out Jordan Love and company with an extra 5 yards and now a shorter field, just 65 yards to work with. The new $220 million man under center on first down with his new running back, Josh Jacobs. And he has the handoff on first down, wrapped up in the backfield. Sweat got there first and a loss of 2 for this Packers offense.
Q1 14:34Todd Blackledge:A beautiful play by Jordan Davis as well.
Q1 14:33Noah Eagle:A lot's been made of this receiving core. The tight end, so unselfish, no real number one option. But now with Jacobs in the backfield, even more weaponry for this man. And Love, his first completion of the season, a gain of 4 to Christian Watson. When you talk about Jordan Love, we asked him the biggest difference of being a starter year 1 to year 2. He said there's just less questions. He has a great idea of what he's supposed to do heading into a game and more comfortable with his routines, his preparation, and there's just nothing new anymore.
Q1 14:09Todd Blackledge:And another year of chemistry with this very young skill group he has.
Q1 14:06Noah Eagle:Early third down and six.
Q1 14:04Todd Blackledge:Jacobs the motion man.
Q1 14:02Noah Eagle:Green Bay efficient in third and long situations last season. Early test for them on their first drive. Love airs it out, complete, going down low. Romeo Doubs out of bounds inside the 40.
Q1 13:55Todd Blackledge:And it looked like Avonte Maddox, the nickelback, number 29, slipped Again, a new surface, not quite used to it. Take a look at number 29's slip coming out of the break, and that's enough separation for Jordan Love to get him the football. To Doubs, nice route and good timing on the throw.
Q1 13:45Noah Eagle:Gained 18 yards. Doubs, normally that deep threat for this Packers offense. The roles always change. That's what you hear from both of these teams. Each year brings a different set of roles for everybody on the roster. And we'll see how this receiving corps settles in. Wicks in motion, handoff Jacobs up the gut, bounces off one, keeps the legs turning, and he gets it to the 38. Going up against a stout new defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio and a new look Philly defense in some ways. Mitchell, the first-round pick, expected to be a big-time player in that defensive backfield along with the return of Brandon Johnson, as Jacobs is spun down by Baun right at the line of scrimmage.
Q1 13:14Todd Blackledge:Baun's an interesting guy. He played for Vic Fangio, 66 years old. He's been a coordinator for many years in this league.
Q1 13:09Noah Eagle:Quick snap, Love lofts open, it's caught! Jayden Reed in the soft spot, stays on his feet, touchdown! Flags down in the secondary, Eagles pointing the other direction, but for now, 38 yards, Love to Reed, and we wait. Extended discussion. This is a Packers offense that really got a rhythm, caught fire late, looking to extend that into the—
Q1 12:42Noah Eagle:So wipe it off the board. I'm not sure I can remember the last time I've seen 12 versus 12.
Q1 12:40Todd Blackledge:Yeah, it was a nice job by Jordan Love. Here we go. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. There's 12 on offense. They're trying to get a guy off here for the Eagles. That had to have been the 12th man, wasn't able to get off the sideline in time. And a touchdown taken off the board for Green Bay.
Q1 12:27Noah Eagle:Another look at 3rd down and 6. Love back to pass, floats it near the end zone. Incomplete.
Q1 12:23Todd Blackledge:No flag. Well, they went after the rookie, Quinyon Mitchell, first-round pick out of Toledo. We knew he was going to start tonight, and they went right after him with the best deep threat on this team, Christian Watson, 6'4", 215 pounds, has great speed, and Mitchell does a beautiful job just riding him to the sideline. He's in phase, has a little bit of a grab there, not enough to draw a call, and just worked him to the sideline. Beautifully played by Quinyon Mitchell.
Q1 12:08Noah Eagle:Green Bay's offense is still on the field right now, and the play clock all the way down to 7. Packers are going to take an early timeout.
Q1 12:03Noah Eagle:Kicking game is something to keep an eye on with Green Bay. They've got a rookie, Braden Narvison, kicking for the first time in his career. Go back to that odd penalty there, 12 versus 12. Look at this.
Q1 11:57Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I mean, at least it's an even play, right? 12 versus 12, but you can only have 11. And again, Philadelphia was trying to get their 12th man off.
Q1 11:52Noah Eagle:Green Bay ran the play with 12 in formation, so they did go quick as well. Yeah, so now 4th down and 6, and it still looks like the Green Bay offense is going to stay on the field. They converted fourth down 50% of the time last season. This is somewhere in that in-between. But with a new kicker that's just been entered into the fold in the past week, maybe Matt LaFleur trusts his offense a little bit more.
Q1 11:41Todd Blackledge:The thing that's great about this Green Bay offense is they feel like they have 6 real guys at wide receiver and a talented tight end group in Musgrave and Kraft. So this ball can go anywhere on a critical play like this.
Q1 11:30Noah Eagle:Fourth and 6. Movement. Yep.
Q1 11:28Todd Blackledge:Look like Zach Tom, the right tackle, moved early and this will probably force a punt now.
Q1 11:24Noah Eagle:So Matt LaFleur took the timeout, gave the extra consideration, and now there goes the punt team.
Q1 11:20Todd Blackledge:He was going to work against Bryce Hobbs.
Q1 11:16Todd Blackledge:So he got the left tackle and the center. A whole lot of movement there.
Q1 11:11Noah Eagle:That was nearly everybody but the center, which is my favorite call in football, by the way.
Q1 11:09Todd Blackledge:The penalty really is on the center for not snapping on time.
Q1 11:08Noah Eagle:So Daniel Whelan, the second-year punter, out there. And the Eagles have a couple of impressive specialists on their side. That includes Britain Covey, who last year was the number 1 punt return yardage man in the NFL.
Q1 10:56Todd Blackledge:I remember watching him in college. He's very crafty as a return man and a good slot receiver as well.
Q1 10:53Noah Eagle:Out of Utah. Whelan, fair catch, sails out of bounds. Philadelphia's offense will start its season from about the 10-yard line. They'll go 90 if they can get there. Scoreless start in the first Brazil NFL game. We'll see Saquon Barkley in an Eagles uniform is in the backfield on first down, and we're going to see a lot more of this.
Q1 10:39Todd Blackledge:Jalen Hurts under center this season.
Q1 10:34Noah Eagle:Pitch it, Barkley. Oh, he slipped down, and there's the conditions of the field. Loses 5.
Q1 10:30Todd Blackledge:It's interesting, I, I was out here yesterday for practice during the day, and the field was very tight. It was not slippery. When I was down on the field before the game in the evening, it was much different. And you can see right away, Saquon Barkley, when I talked to him after practice yesterday, he was not sure what kind of cleats he wanted to wear in this game.
Q1 10:19Noah Eagle:So now 2nd and 15, back to the shotgun where the Eagles operated 93% of the time last year, most in the NFL. Hurts looking to throw, loads it up, incomplete, a little too tall for A.J. Brown. As we check in with Kaylee.
Q1 10:12Noah Eagle:Yeah guys, a lot of Eagles players were testing out their cleats before the game to see if they needed to make changes with their studs. And Eagles kicker Jake Elliott told me this is a soccer field. You would expect it to be a little bit more slippery than your typical football field. Now, this is a turf that's a mix of grass and some turf fibers. And Packer special teams coordinator Rick Bisaccia told me, you know, it's funny, you come all this way and it's really a very similar to the field they have in Lambeau. I think these Packers look like they've got better footing.
Q1 9:58Noah Eagle:Oh, we got a little bit of a Hoosiers-type feel. Third and 15, Hurts from the end zone, intercepted, taken away by Xavier McKinney, the big offseason acquisition.
Q1 9:53Todd Blackledge:Jalen Carter, 15, inside the 20. Well, it's third and long, and normally Jalen Hurts likes to attack outside the numbers to his receivers. He's going to try to get it to DeVonta Smith in the middle, and it's thrown late. First of all, Quay Walker, number 7, does a great job of running underneath the route. And then the safety, the new acquisition McKinney, who has done this his whole career, reads the quarterback's eyes and picks off the football. A late throw down the middle by Jalen Hurts, and it's his first interception of the season. Again, he threw 15 last year. That was more than 2020 and '21 or '21 and '22 combined.
Q1 9:26Noah Eagle:Third interception for McKinney on Hurts. Signed a 4-year, $67 million deal, and Malafour said he is there to make sure that we own that back half defensively. Love, empty set, feels the pressure, he goes down. Zack Baun showing off the speed and athleticism.
Q1 9:17Todd Blackledge:This is where Baun was used to playing in New Orleans the last 2 years as an edge rusher, as an outside linebacker. When they brought him to Philadelphia, they moved him inside, but he's going to come as an edge rusher here And they don't pick him up. Little miscommunication by the left guard and left tackle because he's serving a counter.
Q1 9:05Noah Eagle:So Jalen Carter with a little bit extra, and as a result, move the sticks, move Green Bay up. And right now Philadelphia with a couple of self-inflicted wounds on both sides of the ball that has put Green Bay in excellent position.
Q1 8:57Todd Blackledge:We talked to both these head coaches and they both said, look, there's a lot of unknowns in a first game. That's normal. We just want to see our team execute cleanly. And right now, Philadelphia hurting themselves on this drive.
Q1 8:50Noah Eagle:First down carry, cut, Jacobs spun down. C.J. Gardner-Johnson went down low to chop one.
Q1 8:45Todd Blackledge:Take a look at this penalty. Jalen Carter, the end of the play. It's always the last hit. I don't know if that needed to be a flag, but it's always the last one that gets caught. And Jalen Carter hurt his defense right there after a great play by Zack Baun.
Q1 8:35Noah Eagle:Carter expected to continue to develop in year 2 out of Georgia. Immense talent, but he's got the motor to match it. Switch the motion, man. Play action. Love slips. Love gets rid of it. Caught. Much green, not much room, but a flag.
Q1 8:26Todd Blackledge:I think there's going to be a holding call that's going to back Green Bay up.
Q1 8:22Noah Eagle:And I think Nick Sirianni just said the same.
Q1 8:17Noah Eagle:Left tackle Rasheed Walker. So now we've seen a couple of slips. Here's another look at both the hold and the slight slip from Love.
Q1 8:12Todd Blackledge:Now Rasheed Walker working against Josh Sweat, one of their best outside edge pass rushers, did a nice job of hooking the arm of the left tackle and drawing that flag.
Q1 8:04Noah Eagle:Jacobs lined up out wide at the top of your screen on second and 20. Love surveys, rifles, it's dropped. Wicks could not corral it, takes a shot on top of it. Reed Blankenship, choppy start here. Blankenship really stood out in his second season last year with Philadelphia, career highs in tackles, interceptions, and passes defended. Makes it third and 20. Love screen. Jacobs looking to set up his block and Jacobs across the 15 and not much further.
Q1 7:37Todd Blackledge:A nice defensive stand after the interception by the Eagles. Vic Fangio brought pressure early and then on that third and long just rushed 4, played zone. Forced the underneath throw and makes the Packers settle for a field goal attempt.
Q1 7:30Noah Eagle:So here comes the rookie, Braden Narvison, undrafted out of NC State, spent preseason with Tennessee. Anders Carlsen was the kicker in Green Bay last year as a rookie. They brought in Greg Joseph for the kicking competition, kept neither one because they loved what Narvison could do. This one from 31, his first attempt in the NFL. Really solid in pregame and he's really solid right here. First points in Brazil. Green Bay leads 3-0 nearly midway through. Tonight's Skycam coverage is brought to you by Walmart+. Beautiful look here in São Paulo as we are just about halfway through this opening quarter. You see the coaching staff going over to Jalen Carter. They've got such high expectations, such high hopes for him. Jordan Davis has said he's been so proud of how he's handled himself year 1 to year 2 in his development as a pro. Costly penalty that the Eagles do get away and force just a field goal from Narvison. And he does put it just barely in that landing zone. This is going to have to be returned by Gainwell. This is a big-time play on that dynamic kickoff by Green Bay, and the starting field position for this Philadelphia offense is at the 16.
Q1 6:44Noah Eagle:First drive started at the 10, ended with a pick. Second drive starts at the 16.
Q1 6:42Todd Blackledge:And the second drive starts with a first play under the center. You mentioned it early, 93% last year in shotgun. This is a little influence of Kellen Moore. Also pre-snap movement.
Q1 6:36Noah Eagle:Handoff Barkley through the hole and pushes the pile forward to the 19. Well, for Jalen Hurts, big year ahead. Second consecutive Pro Bowl last year. He was a runner-up to MVP voting the year prior. And Nick Sirianni said it's weird because he's played so much football and he seems so experienced. He's still a young guy who's still developing as a quarterback.
Q1 6:26Todd Blackledge:Still developing, but he has such a unique skill set. I mean, not only is he a talented passer, but a dynamic, powerful runner. And that's a whole different element to this Eagles offense.
Q1 6:20Noah Eagle:Second down and 7, quick strike to the outside for Goddard. Not much room there, covered up by Bullard as we go down to Kaley.
Q1 6:17Noah Eagle:Before the Eagles offense went back on the field, just about every guy was looking down at their shoes. Saquon Barkley, one of those who was testing out a new set of cleats he just put on before taking the field. These guys are trying to problem solve. I'm told the vast majority of players on both sides of the ball for the Eagles. Have reassessed.
Q1 6:07Noah Eagle:It leads us to a third down and six, and we'll see if they can plant properly and get it upfield. Brown and Alexander matched up. Oh, Hurts fumbles the snap! Green Bay's right there, they jump on it. Two turnovers in this opening quarter from Jalen Hurts as it's taken right back for the second straight drive.
Q1 5:57Todd Blackledge:Well, again, the first game since 2014 without Jason Kelce as the center. Cam Jurgens snapped this ball too soon. Jalen Hurts was not ready for the snap. There was pressure right over his nose. Cam Jurgens, you can see Jalen Hurts is looking up. The ball comes too soon and he's not ready for it. There was a lot of bodies right around Jurgens, right on his right shoulder. He snapped it too soon and Hurts was not ready. And the second turnover of the game for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Q1 5:42Noah Eagle:Devonte Wyatt says, yeah, I'll take that. And here's the conversation between quarterback and center. Jalen Hurts told us that he had already built a relationship with Jurgens, understanding he was going to be the center of the future. But another costly turnover and another excellent starting field position for Green Bay. It's Jacobs, makes one man miss. Jacobs inside the 10 with a flag down.
Q1 5:26Noah Eagle:Tucker Kraft.
Q1 5:26Todd Blackledge:Yeah, when this ball bounced outside, I'm not sure Tucker Kraft anticipated Jacobs bouncing this outside. And you're going to see him just grab Nolan Smith as he tries to get away to get to the outside pursuit. Nice play by Josh Jacobs. And he's already touched the ball, played more than he did the entire preseason. Only 3 snaps in the preseason. And we know what kind of a workhorse he can be. Both with the Raiders and now with his new team, the Packers.
Q1 5:11Noah Eagle:Coming off career lows in rush yards, scrimmage yards, touchdowns, and yards per catch, along with yards per carry. Get it out to the outside for Reed, over the top and inside the 15. Acrobatic play to get over Blankenship for some extra yards.
Q1 5:04Todd Blackledge:That time, beautiful block by Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks on the quick screen. If you want to have success throwing screens to wide receivers, the other guys have to block on the perimeter. And that time, Clean, nicely done blocks by both Kraft and Witt. Watch on the outside. Both guys get into their blocks, stay on them, stay active, and it's a positive game.
Q1 4:52Noah Eagle:4 completions for Love. They've gone to 4 different receivers. More of the same. 2nd and 11. Put Reed in motion. Quick strike. It's caught just shy of that first down yardage. We'll see where they officially mark it. Looks like it's right at the 7. Sticks to Romeo Doubs.
Q1 4:43Todd Blackledge:Beautiful job using the motion to isolate Doubs. The motion took the safety away, so it's one-on-one and a perfect timing on the slant from Love to Doubs. Again, I just think Matt, look, with all these weapons and they're all kind of sort of talented guys, he just finds the matchup and he can get guys open, scheme guys open, motion to create favorable matchups. And that time he did it for a nice game.
Q1 4:30Noah Eagle:So just shy of that first down. It's 3rd and 1 with Jacobs back in there. Both tight ends, Kraft and Musgrave. Jacobs up the middle, he's hit in the backfield. Philadelphia gets to him in time. A swarm of white jerseys includes the veteran captain Brandon Graham and Nakobe Dean.
Q1 4:17Todd Blackledge:Yeah, but Jordan Davis is the guy that made the play. If Jordan Davis is just such a huge man. Watch him just hold his ground. He does not get moved anywhere. In fact, he takes the left tackle, Rasheed Walker, back a couple steps, and that enables his teammates to get there and stop him and actually make it a loss-of-yardage play.
Q1 4:07Noah Eagle:Offense once again stays out there on fourth down. It was a penalty that backed them up on their first fourth-and-six look on their first drive. This time they do run it. It's Jacobs pushing. Jacobs, it's going to depend on the spot. This was right at that line. Zack Baun was there, made some contact, and it's a first down.
Q1 3:55Todd Blackledge:Good hard running by Jacobs. Really a nice play by Nakobe Dean. Watch him come inside. He slows him up a little bit. When I talked to Vic Fangio about Josh Jacobs, he says he has the ability to push the pile for extra yards, and that's exactly what he did there. It was not a flashy run, but it was effective to get a first down.
Q1 3:44Noah Eagle:First and goal, play clock down to 5. Green Bay have to take its second timeout. They will. In this opening quarter, they've had to burn 2.
Q1 3:35Noah Eagle:The frustration there from Matt LaFleur. He's been chirping with the officials pretty much this entire quarter.
Q1 3:33Todd Blackledge:Interesting to see if they look to throw the football to Josh Jacobs here. I mean, he has got— had a great career. He scored 46 career touchdowns, but every single one of them has been on a running play. He has not caught a touchdown even though he averaged close to 40 receptions a year for the Raiders. And Jordan Love says that's one of his main goals this year is to get him his first touchdown reception.
Q1 3:21Noah Eagle:It is remarkable. He has 197 career receptions and not a single Not a single one has gone into the end zone. But Jacobs, the NFL's rushing leader from 2 seasons ago, he has said he's looked to add and really not even add but showcase that part of his game a lot more since coming to Green Bay. Had offers to go elsewhere including Kansas City, but said this is where he wanted to be to go out and beat the best with this team.
Q1 3:09Todd Blackledge:Got a favorable matchup with Watson and Slocum.
Q1 3:07Noah Eagle:Love looking end zone, floats, caught! No, it's dropped! Watson had it, Reed Blankenship knocked it, and a flag is down.
Q1 3:02Todd Blackledge:Well, they're going to get a penalty on Romeo Doubs. Offensive pass interference, 10-yard penalty. Watch Doubs now. He's going to come in and just make contact. Just doesn't even look like he's running a route and knocks the man off. And it really wasn't the guy that needed to be affected because it was a good route by Watson. Incomplete anyway, but another penalty on Green Bay in the red zone.
Q1 2:47Noah Eagle:Already 5 Packer penalties have gone for 40 yards. Green Bay, despite the tremendous starting field position on just about each drive, especially the last 2 following the turnovers, once again now backed up first and goal outside the 10. Fake the handoff. Love rolls, dumps. Kraft looking to turn it upfield, lowers the shoulder. And he gets to the 5. C.J. Gardner-Johnson was the first one to make contact and he took him for a ride.
Q1 2:33Todd Blackledge:Nice job by Kraft selling this because it looked like he was staying in the block. There was pressure coming from the left. Jordan Love knew that he had time and Tucker Kraft, who was going to delay route, faked block, hung in there for a 2-count and then released in the flat for a nice completion.
Q1 2:23Noah Eagle:This feels like where Josh Jacobs generally thrives on these goal line type, red zone type opportunities. They fake it to him. Love rolls. Love just gets rid of it.
Q1 2:15Todd Blackledge:Really good coverage. Man coverage with a little bit of pressure. Nobody open and Jordan Love does a nice job. The only thing he can do— there's Slay on his man. Nowhere to go with the football. And Jordan Love makes a good decision throwing it away. Last year, 3 of his 11 interceptions came in the red zone, and most of those early in the season. That was a smart decision, a veteran decision to live to play another down.
Q1 2:00Noah Eagle:Slay matched up with Doubs at the top. Third and goal. Love on Corks. Incomplete. Looked like another slip from Watson.
Q1 1:52Todd Blackledge:He's on a crossing route and he goes to the back of the end zone, and I think if he doesn't slip, he probably catches this for a touchdown. Watch him gain depth to the back. He's open but just kind of lost his balance running to the back of the end zone. Two times he was targeted down here, he dropped one. That time he slipped and not able to come up with the football.
Q1 1:40Noah Eagle:So Narvison back on this time for a 23-yard attempt after making it from 31 on the last drive. And Narvison is 2 for 2 to start his NFL career. 2 Philly turnovers, 2 Green Bay field goals off of them. It's 6-nothing Packers in the first. All right, you see that landing zone right there? It's from the 20 to the goal line, and Brady Narvison dropped it right in there on the last one, right at the 20. Now if it goes shy of the 20. That ball goes to the 40-yard line as if it's out of bounds, and it doesn't look like they will do it again. This time goes through the back of the end zone.
Q1 1:24Todd Blackledge:Football late down the middle, and Xavier McKinney, the new acquisition from the New York Giants, reading the quarterback all the way, playing beautifully at the free safety position. And this one more on the new center, Cam Jurgens, snapping it before Hurts was ready and kind of off his right shoulder. And fortunately for Jalen Hurts, And the Eagles, this new Vic Fangio defense, stiffened in the red zone and forced 2 field goals.
Q1 1:11Noah Eagle:We'll see how Hurts responds. Just 1 for 3 to start this game. Covey the motion man on first down. Back to the air. Quick strike. And it's the second catch of the day for Dallas Goedert against this Green Bay defense. Preston Smith, Mississippi State. Kenny Clark, UCLA. TJ Slade Jr. Florida. Rashan Gary, Michigan. Isaiah McDuffie, Boston College. Quez Watkins, Chris County High School. Eric Wilson, Cincinnati. Jairon Dender, Louisville. Xavier McKinney, Alabama. Javon Bullard, Georgia. Aaron Stokes Jr., Bayside High School. Confident group, complete group for first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley after 4 seasons as the head coach at Boston College. Handoff, Barkley explodes through the hole and sets up third down and 2. So for Jeff Hafley coming in, Matt LaFleur so excited because this is a guy with head coaching experience, understands what being a head coach means. But he also said he sees defense the way LaFleur sees offense.
Q1 0:42Todd Blackledge:Yeah, they try to show one thing, do something different. And, you know, now schematically at BC, he was a heavy single high safety, a high percentage of man-free coverage, cover 3, a little bit different philosophy. And they went from a 3-4 alignment to a 4-man defensive front. That's a little bit more attacking in style. Right now you see that single free safety McKinney in the back of the defense.
Q1 0:29Noah Eagle:Third and a long one. Hurts over the middle. It's caught. Flag's down. Brown has the catch. We'll see which side this came from. It looked like Green Bay may have been in the neutral zone.
Q1 0:21Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I think Kenny Clark, number 97, may have gotten off a little bit early into the neutral zone.
Q1 0:13Todd Blackledge:It was overplay. It was a first down. Yeah, there you see it right in the middle. Again, more motion pre-snap, getting A.J. Brown now involved in the offense. Again, this, this skill group for the Eagles, as good as anyone. Anywhere in the league— wide receiver, running back, tight end.
Q1 0:02Noah Eagle:Hurts keeps, hesitates. Hurts, who ran all over this Green Bay defense 2 years ago in the previous matchup, gains 2 on first down. Hurts, who had 150 rushing and passing yards in that game to go with a couple of passing touchdowns. It was a 40-33 Eagles victory. We know that's what makes him so dangerous. And Kellen Moore, you said it, it's trying to blend and marry almost the style of Hurts with the style of Moore, who has shown that his offenses can lead the league.
Q2 14:46Todd Blackledge:Yeah, Jalen Hurts again has such a unique skill set because of his running and throwing ability. And how does Kellen Moore utilize that and blend that with some of the things that he really feels strongly about?
Q2 14:41Noah Eagle:Hurts back to the air, rifles, caught. DeVonta Smith makes one man miss. Oh, he gets walloped right at that first down marker. Quay Walker came from over the middle and laid the boom.
Q2 14:35Todd Blackledge:Beautiful job though by DeVonta Smith, not only sitting down and catching the football but just kind of retreating a little bit after the catch. Watch, he knows what the defense is, he retreats and gets the first down.
Q2 14:29Noah Eagle:After zero first downs in the first two offensive possessions for Philly, dwindling now in this first quarter with two first downs here. Play-action pass right back to Smith setting up his blocker. Smith slips through and gains 9.
Q2 14:22Todd Blackledge:This is one thing the Eagles love to do is they make you defend the whole field. A lot of smoke screens, but they'll take their deep shots too.
Q2 14:18Noah Eagle:Through one here in São Paulo, the first game in the Southern Hemisphere. It's 6-0 Packers as you're watching. A goal-to-go situation on their previous drive, and finally it feels like Philly is finding a little bit of a rhythm.
Q2 14:13Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I think a really nice job by Kellen Moore after the early interception by Jalen Hurts. He's giving him some really quick, easy throws here in this drive. He's 5 for 7 now in the game, and he's starting to look like he's more in rhythm.
Q2 14:07Noah Eagle:Still looking to get Barkley more involved. Just 3 carries and 3 yards after the first slip on his first carry of his Eagles career. Goedert the motion man on second and 1. Play-action pass. Hurts surveys and just lets it fly.
Q2 13:58Todd Blackledge:A really nice job by Kenny Clark. I mean, good coverage downfield, but the Packers know this. Jalen Hurts, when he escapes the pocket, he loves to escape to the right. That's where he causes the most damage. Now watch Kenny Clark just kind of loop all the way around but keep his eye on the quarterback and kind of sets the edge right there and doesn't allow Hurts to get all the way to the sideline.
Q2 13:47Noah Eagle:All right, this is where Philly was better than anybody in the league. Third and fourth and one, the first time without Jason Kelce. And Hurts pushing. It's going to be awfully close. It does not look like based on that spot he had it.
Q2 13:40Todd Blackledge:Well, he was 25 of 27 last year on 3rd and 1 or 4th and 1. The 2 he missed were 3rd and 1s and he got him on the next play on 4th and 1. So I would guess we'll see it again here on 4th and less than 1.
Q2 13:33Noah Eagle:Can Cam Jurgens, the new center, get that push up front?
Q2 13:32Todd Blackledge:Also, the left guard Dickerson is important.
Q2 13:31Noah Eagle:Oh, and the jump. T.J. Slayton got a little overzealous.
Q2 13:29Todd Blackledge:Yeah, hard count that time by Jalen Hurts. Very smart move. Changed the inflection of his voice a little bit, went with a hard count and drew the offside.
Q2 13:22Noah Eagle:Already the 6th penalty of the game for Green Bay.
Q2 13:21Todd Blackledge:Yeah. Black, black, black. Don't touch that. Good opportunity right here after that first down to maybe take a shot down the field. To A.J. Brown. I mean, he is the best deep threat they've got. The big-bodied receiver wins one-on-one jump ball type situations. He's up at the top along with Devonta Smith right now.
Q2 13:09Noah Eagle:Calcaterra in motion, handoff Barkley. Barkley up the middle into the secondary for a first down. McKinney, his former teammate in New York, gets him down after a gain of 12.
Q2 13:03Todd Blackledge:Well, two new starters on this offensive line. We've already told you Cam Jurgens Also the right guard, Mekhi Becton, who came from the Jets. Double team right there at the point of attack, and Barkley still has that burst to get to the second level.
Q2 12:56Noah Eagle:Barkley knows how impressive this offensive line is, but he said it's also my job to make them look as good as I know they are. This sets up the 10th play of the drive. Barkley No running room this time. Slayton in there along with Eric Wilson.
Q2 12:45Todd Blackledge:Yeah, really nice job, Eric Wilson. Watch Eric Wilson, number 45. He's going to come right in through the tight end and just rip right through Calcaterra's block and into the backfield. Nice little slant and penetration defense that time by the Packers.
Q2 12:33Noah Eagle:See number 83 in white, Jahan Dotson, the newest Philadelphia Eagle acquired at the end of preseason from Washington. Hurts looking the other way, lofts it. Barkley, end zone, makes the grab! Touchdown Philadelphia!
Q2 12:19Todd Blackledge:Oh, well, what you're going to see is A.J. Brown is going to run the post and he's going to draw the two deep defenders. That isolates Barkley on an inside linebacker, and that was a mismatch. No chance for Isaiah McDuffie in man coverage. He came from the inside out and Barkley was wide open, but it was because of the route by A.J. Brown that drew coverage and opened that up for the running back.
Q2 12:04Noah Eagle:Extra point from Elliott gives Philadelphia its first week one, and Philadelphia looking to start their year with a bang. They bring in Saquon Barkley. He caps off a 70-yard touchdown drive with 5 first downs through 11 plays. That one from Braden Mann through the back of the end zone. And Philly with their first lead of the game. This look at the Saquon Barkley touchdown is brought to you by Fireball Whiskey.
Q2 11:50Todd Blackledge:Well, the two elite receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, they're decoys on this play. They're just drawing coverage and they're going to force this linebacker to play man-to-man on Saquon Barkley. He goes inside with the motion, and right now Isaiah McDuffie has no chance to catch up and close the ground on Barkley. Brown and Smith are decoys and Barkley scores.
Q2 11:38Noah Eagle:And they love it at the Linc. First breather for Josh Jacobs. Fake the handoff to Wilson. Love steps up. A rifle. It's dropped again. Second time Wicks couldn't squeeze it.
Q2 11:32Todd Blackledge:And another slip. I mean, we're seeing this on both teams. We saw Watson in the end zone slip. This time Dontayvion Wicks on the inside. He's wide open. It's a good route. It's good timing. And he just can't keep his balance and unable to come down with the football.
Q2 11:22Noah Eagle:And it feels like whichever team can literally, not metaphorically, find its footing first is going to find the advantage in this game. Wilson stays out there, has the handoff on second down, finds the hole. Wilson up the middle into the secondary and he slips down, down to the 44, gains 14 yards. Blankenship was there with him, but that was really more again on the field conditions. This is a running back room that's already thin. They lost A.J. Dillon on season-ending IR. MarShawn Lloyd, the rookie out of USC, inactive for this game. So it's really mostly the two of Jacobs and Wilson, and that's a positive sign to see Wilson break one like that.
Q2 11:02Todd Blackledge:Yeah, nice run. Good block at the point of attack by Sean Rhyan, the right guard who pulled on that play.
Q2 11:00Noah Eagle:Another handoff. Wilson Impatient, busted to the outside. Wilson with a collision on Vaughn, gains 5.
Q2 10:55Todd Blackledge:Again, Green Bay running the football effectively right here, and this sets up what they do better than anybody, or as good as anybody in the NFL— play action. Their action game off their run, that's where they get their deep shots down the field. A lot of crossing routes, deep in-cuts off of play action. When you run with some effectiveness like they have the last couple plays that sets that up in their arsenal.
Q2 10:43Noah Eagle:6 completions to 5 different receivers. See who can get involved potentially here. Instead, the late handoff. Wilson chewing up yards inside the 40 and pushed forward inside the 35.
Q2 10:34Todd Blackledge:A really nice job by the left side of that Packer offensive line. Jenkins the guard and the tackle Rasheed Walker, watch these two and then watch the tight end coming over and getting a piece right in the hole. Tyler Tucker Kraft with a nice block at the point of attack. Green Bay doing a little power running football right now on this drive.
Q2 10:24Noah Eagle:Rushes at 14 and 18 from Emanuel Wilson. You just look at the numbers. Now Wilson did play in both Packer playoff games last year against Dallas and San Francisco, so he got experience towards the end of the year. Now enters year 2 in the NFL. And showcasing a little bit more of that experience. Here's the final timeout of this first half from Green Bay with 10:24 to play in the second.
Q2 10:13Noah Eagle:Todd, you mentioned Week 1 and some of the unknown, but this just feels like some lack of organization early from Green Bay.
Q2 10:10Todd Blackledge:Yeah, and, and the one unit that you would not expect this from is the Green Bay offense, right? That's the one that's intact from last year in terms of staff, system, everything. New coordinators on both sides for the Eagles, new defensive coordinator for the Packers, but some uncharacteristic confusion and miscommunications here in the first half by this Green Bay offense.
Q2 10:01Noah Eagle:And they are still searching for the right combination.
Q2 10:00Todd Blackledge:Yeah, cleat, stub, shoe gate going on down there.
Q2 9:58Noah Eagle:Speaking my language now, Todd. Time of possession favoring the Packers, but they have to take their final timeout. You see they are drilling any combination that they can find to the bottom of those cleats. Wilson staying in this entire drive after Jacobs went for 6 carries but just 4 yards. It is Reed on the jet sweep. Reed showing off the speed inside the 20. He could go and he will. Jayden Reed, electric, 33 yards. Touchdown Packers!
Q2 9:40Todd Blackledge:Well, we saw Emanuel Wilson run the ball. Watch him block here as the lead blocker on Reed Blankenship, the safety who came up to fill in the hole. Beautiful block by the running back, and Jayden Reed does the rest. What a drive by Emanuel Wilson, both as a runner and a blocker on the touchdown play.
Q2 9:32Noah Eagle:Extra point from Narvison is through. The flag is on the field. We'll check the penalty mark. Excellent response either way from this Green Bay offense after an 11-play, 70-yard drive results in the Barkley touchdown Philadelphia, 5 plays, 70 yards down the field in 2:22.
Q2 9:19Noah Eagle:Makes sense. Jalen Carter, a second penalty. In fact, the Eagles only have 2 penalties, they're both on Carter. Just a slight jump. So Philadelphia He's gonna have to try to keep Green Bay out of the end zone here on a 2-point try. Packers 2-for-5 last season on 2-point attempts.
Q2 9:07Todd Blackledge:Jordan Morgan, they're announcing, who has reported as eligible. First-round draft pick out of Arizona, spent his entire career as a left tackle at Arizona. He's trying to play right guard now for Green Bay.
Q2 9:03Noah Eagle:Bay.
Q2 9:03Todd Blackledge:Sean Rhyan started the game, but we knew we were going to see both of them. Morgan lined up on the right side as a tight end right now.
Q2 8:59Noah Eagle:Jumbo package, Jacobs in there. Jacobs up the middle, he won't get there. The Eagles once again make a stand defensively and they keep 2 points off the board. Nakobe Dean with penetration. Jacobs has found no running room. But the Packers do get into the end zone for the first time. Jayden Reed showing off his blazing game-breaking ability and gets the Pack back in front from Sao Paulo.
Q2 8:49Todd Blackledge:You lose your breath. I'm going to make you lose your breath.
Q2 8:48Noah Eagle:This is a development. That's the field judge, Ryan Dixon, getting looked at on the right side, lower body. So for the time being, this officiating crew could go 6-person crew as Dixon gets checked up. Let's try to see if we can get an update as soon as we can on if Dixon is good to go. Robinson will send it deep once again and this will result in a touchback. Well, we mentioned the two new offensive and defensive coordinators for Philadelphia under Nick Sirianni. You had Steichen and Gannon for two years, then Brian Johnson shone to sign, even Matt Patricia to a certain degree last year on the defensive side. Now you have Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio. And one thing that Nick Sirianni felt, this is a chance to be the first team since 1970 to go the entire season with the same head coach but different offensive and defensive coordinators in 3 straight seasons. The one thing Nick Sirianni felt is he made the home run higher with these 2 guys. Certainly Vic Fangio having had coaching experience and 40 years nearly of NFL coaching experience. But Kellen Moore has proven what he can do offensively and he loves the blend with these guys, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley, who have already proven what they can do in Eagles green.
Q2 8:23Todd Blackledge:Well, Nick also felt like he hit a home run with his first 2 coordinators, which he did, but they were so good after the Super Bowl, they both got head coaching jobs in the NFL. So he is regrouped again. He's taking a little bit more of a role of just being in charge of alignment and culture. And, you know, he doesn't have to be in every offensive meeting, every quarterback meeting. He trusts both of the guys that he hired. And so far it looks like it's working out pretty well. Really focused on leadership this offseason.
Q2 8:12Noah Eagle:Johnson in motion, first snap of the day for Kenneth Gainwell on second down. Hurts in trouble, has to get away and just gets rid of it out of bounds. Smith and Gary coming from the edges and as always just living in backfields.
Q2 8:06Todd Blackledge:Well, if you can pressure with 4, then that allows you to do a lot of things in the back end of your defense if you're Jeff Hafley. And right now they're getting pressure and they force Hurts out.
Q2 8:03Noah Eagle:Nowhere to go with the football.
Q2 8:03Todd Blackledge:Once he rolls out there, he cuts the field in half. He can only look to a receiver on that side and there was nowhere to go with the ball.
Q2 7:58Noah Eagle:Rush yards and scrimmage yards last season in Philadelphia. Now in his fourth year, Hurts hit as he throws. It's caught. Brown makes a man miss. Alexander Witht on the tackle and Brown will have first down and a whole lot more.
Q2 7:51Todd Blackledge:Now this is a courageous throw by Jalen Hurts because there's an unblocked guy coming right and going to hit him right in the back. He knows it's coming. He knows it's not protected. He gets the ball out right on time. And A.J. Brown does a nice job of eluding the best cover corner on this team, Alexander, and turning it into a big game.
Q2 7:45Noah Eagle:Goes for 20.
Q2 7:44Todd Blackledge:Only the second target in the game so far for A.J. Brown. That time really paid off on third down.
Q2 7:37Noah Eagle:Hurts keeps, fakes, and just goes down. Quay Walker was reading him the entire way.
Q2 7:33Todd Blackledge:Solid defense. I mean, you know, the quarterback run is a part of what the Eagles are going to do because of Jalen Hurts. But 2 times or 3 times we've seen Jalen pull the ball and keep it and really have no openings to run the football. Green Bay has been very disciplined against the quarterback run so far.
Q2 7:25Noah Eagle:Keep an eye out. Rookie running back Will Shipley is in the game offensively here. Split out now in motion. Look in that direction. Hurts pumps, fires. Oh, it's caught. Beautiful ball. Smith wiggles his way just shy of the red zone.
Q2 7:17Todd Blackledge:Oh, this is beautiful. I mean, this is 3 guys working in unison. A.J. Brown is going to run the deep route. He's going to run him off. Shipley's going to draw coverage there and then right in the middle is going to be DeVonta Smith. There's 3 defenders, but they're spread out by the other routes and DeVonta Smith finds the opening and Hurts gets him the football. Excellent design on that play to create some open ground.
Q2 7:08Noah Eagle:5-8, 5-8, rip 5-8! Hurts starting to cook a little bit here. Shipley stays in there. Saquon Barkley called him the smartest looking quarterback he's ever been around. Hurts doing it again, leaves it for Barkley. Oh, Barkley with a jump cut. He just couldn't stay in bounds.
Q2 7:01Todd Blackledge:This is another different little wrinkle from Kellen Moore, right? Having two running backs in the game at the same time. So far they've been putting Shipley in motion. He's a really good receiver, had five receptions during the preseason, and they are really high on him and what he can add to the offense, especially in the red zone area. Still going with two backs in the backfield.
Q2 6:52Noah Eagle:Barkley said Shipley has been attached to his right hip anytime they've done extra to work. Will has been right there next to him. They line up together here. Okay, second and 5. Hurts runs into his own man, Calcaterra, and sets up third and short.
Q2 6:45Todd Blackledge:The motion by Shipley pulled one of the linebackers out, so there was one less defender in the box. It was a designed quarterback run with the lead block by Barkley, and they picked up good yardage. And now they're in that quarterback sneak area on either third or fourth down if they need.
Q2 6:38Noah Eagle:I was about to ask, what do you think's coming up here? Yeah, tush push time. Hurts has it. Barkley and Goddard, the push, got it. First down.
Q2 6:33Todd Blackledge:Well, you got a guy who squats about 550 pounds running the ball and a guy who squats about 600 pushing him from behind. I'd say they got a pretty good chance of converting that. No Jason Kelce, but that play is still difficult to defend.
Q2 6:26Noah Eagle:Philly has converted 3 of its last 4 on third down. Hand it Barkley. Barkley touchdown Eagles! Saquon with his second.
Q2 6:18Todd Blackledge:Well, watch this, another great double team here, and there's going to be an unblocked guy. Walker's going to come right in here, Quay Walker, and watch the little quick cut. And that's what Nick Sirianni said, the thing that surprised him about Saquon was seeing his cuts live and seeing him every day in practice. That was making an unblocked guy miss and turning it into a touchdown.
Q2 6:08Noah Eagle:He said, I'm just glad that I'm on this side of him now. I don't have to worry about— I don't have to lose sleep over the cuts he's going to make against my team. As Elliott tacks on the extra point and makes it 14-12. Couple of scores for Saquon Barkley in his Eagles debut. Time now for our Fireball in-game update. Let's go down to the field. Here's Kaylee Hartung.
Q2 6:00Noah Eagle:Well, Noah, here we are at Corinthians Arena, about 10 miles east of the center of an international city that is rich in culture.
Q2 5:57Noah Eagle:Uniform with a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown. He's got a quarterback in Jalen Hurts that he has seen in the weight room do things that no other quarterback he's been around has ever done. He said he's used to quarterbacks doing band workouts. He walked in his early career, saw Eli Manning doing the band workouts. This is a little different with these two. They've got a little bit of a different feel and competition in that weight room as Philly has regained the lead down the stretch in this first half. Van will kick it deep. And another touchback here. This will start at the 30. So Saquon Barkley, he said he just wanted to show his God-given ability in open space. I think he showed it.
Q2 5:42Todd Blackledge:Yeah, that was it. The little jump cut in the hole. Quay Walker was unblocked, a good defender.
Q2 5:40Noah Eagle:No—
Q2 5:40Todd Blackledge:and strength and toughness and attitude. And so they are very happy to be teammates together right now.
Q2 5:38Noah Eagle:Remember, Green Bay without a timeout the rest of the way in this first half. The wave has broken out at Corinthians Arena. Let's see how the Packers offense responds. Play action for Love. Slips again, just has to get rid of it. Oh, it's nearly picked off! Wow, Nakobe Dean had a beat on that football and he would have scored.
Q2 5:31Todd Blackledge:Yeah, Josh Jacobs again, new to this team, a little mix-up there maybe on where this route was supposed to be, but I think the slip by Jordan Love just threw a little panic into him and he's just trying to get rid of the football and very lucky that that was not a pick-six.
Q2 5:23Noah Eagle:Uncharacteristic first half for Jordan Love. 6 of 12, just 60 yards. The last drive was all on the ground for the touchdown. Love taking a shot here in a double coverage, batted in the air and incomplete. Musgrave was the intended target and Mitchell looked like he got a hand on it.
Q2 5:14Todd Blackledge:Green Bay went strictly to the run on that last drive. First 2 plays of this drive, throwing it. This is a dangerous throw into double coverage looking for Musgrave, and 2 plays in a row could have very easily ended up as interceptions for the Eagles. Pass defense was a real struggle for the Eagles in the second half of the year last year. Gave up 35 touchdown passes as a team.
Q2 5:03Noah Eagle:Watson in motion on 3rd and 10. Love steps up on the run. Wide open, Jayden Reed made the man miss. Reed, goodbye. Touchdown Packers, 70 yards.
Q2 4:53Todd Blackledge:I'm not sure what the free safety is going to end up doing here because everybody's dropping in the zone. And that guy right there has got the deepest coverage, and Jayden Reed's running across the field, and for whatever reason, C.J. Gardner-Johnson is just nowhere near the deepest threat by the Packer offense. And an easy touchdown on third down for Jayden Reed.
Q2 4:43Noah Eagle:Flag is down on the extra point. It's the longest touchdown pass of Jordan Love's career.
Q2 4:40Todd Blackledge:Yeah, he threw 32 touchdowns last year. The longest was only 35 yards. That's, that's the big play, the explosive play right there to Jayden Reed.
Q2 4:36Noah Eagle:So if we're just keeping the tally, it is 2-2. Barkley and Reed each with a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in this first half. So now the extra point will be a little bit lengthier here, 38 yards. For Braden Narvison. And the kick is good, sneaks it in. Jayden Reed showing out, the Chicago kid now playing in Green Bay, and he loves playing in front of the Cheeseheads, doing a little bit of everything in Brazil. Pack back in front. Todd, you mentioned it, 32 touchdown passes for Jordan Love last year. The longest was 35 yards, the most person in the season without at least a 40-yard touchdown pass in the history of the NFL. But one thing that Jaire Alexander, the star cornerback, told us about Jordan Love is he'll swat a ball down in practice, Jordan Love still goes and fits it in the window 2 plays later. There were nearly 2 interceptions on that drive, and the 3rd play goes for 70.
Q2 4:12Todd Blackledge:Yeah, unfazed and made a beautiful play to get his team back out in front.
Q2 4:10Noah Eagle:This one will be returned by Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell spins Not much more after that, down to the 23.
Q2 4:07Todd Blackledge:Go back and look at the touchdown. One of the things I love watching with Jordan Love is his ability to move in the pocket and make off-platform throws. Watch him step up in the pocket and then he sees his open receiver. He doesn't necessarily get his feet set, but he gets his hips through the throw and he's still able to make an accurate throw. Looks a lot like Aaron Rodgers when he makes throws like that. And their quarterback coach, Tom Clements, they drill this by design. They do a lot of work to move the quarterback, throw off platform, get set enough to get your hips in and still make an accurate throw. And that's pretty impressive to watch.
Q2 3:53Noah Eagle:So the quick strike from the pack. Eagles with another chance. Hurts over the middle, incomplete. Tight coverage by Alexander on A.J.
Q2 3:50Todd Blackledge:Brown.
Q2 3:50Noah Eagle:A little pushing and shoving after the fact.
Q2 3:49Todd Blackledge:Jalen Hurts in the backfield to Brown. Marcus Epps is there. Tight coverage by Alexander on A.J. Brown.
Q2 3:47Noah Eagle:A little pushing and shoving after the fact. Jalen Hurts in the backfield to Brown. Alexander told us before the game this receiving A fast start by this defensive backfield was gonna be necessary, and they certainly had that in the first quarter, but Philadelphia's found some rhythm here in the second.
Q2 3:42Todd Blackledge:That's a low throw, pretty tight coverage by Alexander. These two matched up against each other when they matched up in 2022. He lined up against A.J. Brown 13 times in that game. Brown was only targeted twice and no receptions. DeVonta Smith had a little more success going against Alexander.
Q2 3:34Noah Eagle:Matched up again. Hurts looking that way. It's caught. Brown, first down. Sheds the tackle of Alexander. And yeah, talk your talk after the fact.
Q2 3:31Todd Blackledge:Well, the thing about A.J. Brown, he's such a big body and he has strong hands. I mean, he snatches the football. A great catcher of the ball. Low throw, just reaches down there and effortlessly makes that catch and then turns it into a first down.
Q2 3:24Noah Eagle:Signed his contract extension, 3 years, $92 million this offseason. Season since being acquired from Tennessee. Averages 87 yards per game with the Eagles, second most in franchise history behind only Terrell Owens. First down throw for Hurts in a bit of trouble. Hurts wisely gets rid of it.
Q2 3:16Todd Blackledge:Green Bay is doing a really good job of when Hurts does leave the pocket, they are not letting him get to the edge. They're doing a nice job of once he starts to flush kind of rushing under control. Rashan Gary did a nice job. He's the leading sack on this defense, but that time his job was keep the quarterback under control, keep him contained, and make him throw the football away.
Q2 3:06Noah Eagle:Jeff Hafley in open communication with his players. He is trying to find common ground and really middle ground in particular with how they feel this defense should be played— economical. We've seen everybody get their opportunity so far. Barkley patient, picks up 3.
Q2 2:57Todd Blackledge:Talk about this offensive line. I mean, a new starter at center, a new starter at right guard, but they have 2 premier tackles. That time they ran behind Lane Johnson, their perennial All-Pro right tackle. 2 of the best tackles in the NFL.
Q2 2:50Noah Eagle:And both captains, Lane Johnson on the right side, Jordan Mailata, first-time captain on the left side. His teammates just so excited for him. He signed a big 3-year extension this offseason. Hurts lobs it, caught on the run. Goedert lowers the shoulder and picked up a few extra.
Q2 2:43Todd Blackledge:Well, they had Goedert matched up on the rookie, Javon Bullard, who's a very good man coverage player even though he's not very big. But he's going to slip trying to avoid A.J. Brown, and that's all that Goedert needed to get separation. Position and make the catch on first for a first down.
Q2 2:36Noah Eagle:The difference for Jalen Hurts with Goddard on the field versus off the field is pretty stunning. His completion percentage with Goddard on the field, 68%. Without Goddard, 59% completion percentage. Goddard's just trying to stay healthy, has not played a full season since his rookie year. Barkley runs into a wall and picks up 2.
Q2 2:28Todd Blackledge:That particular throw is why Kellen Moore wanted to encourage Jalen Hurts to keep working the middle of the field, because that's where your catch-and-run plays are. Outside, it's more catch and you're on the sideline. If you hit somebody on a crossing route, like in that case Goddard, great opportunity for catch and run. And those are middle of the field plays. Jalen Hurts did a nice job on that one.
Q2 2:16Noah Eagle:Gainwell in on second and 8.
Q2 2:16Todd Blackledge:Have not seen a deep shot other than the late one over the middle that resulted in an interception.
Q2 2:13Noah Eagle:Hurts pumps, squeezes through. Hurts over the top, incomplete in the direction of the big wideout Johnny Wilson.
Q2 2:09Todd Blackledge:Nice coverage by Eric Stokes. We've talked a lot about Jaire Alexander, but Eric Stokes, who has battled injuries the last 2 years, he's healthy and excellent man coverage guy. He's right stride for stride for the big receiver and really nowhere to go with the football. He pushes him to the sideline and Hurts has nowhere to put the football.
Q2 2:00Noah Eagle:Third down and 8, what is likely the final play before the 2-minute warning. Philly 4 of its last 5 on third down. Hurts going to run it up the middle. Nowhere to go. Looking to maybe set up 4th and short, but it ends up being about 4th and a long 2 as we get to the 2-minute warning. You're watching NFL Kickoff Weekend presented by YouTube TV. 2 minutes to play in this first half, the first ever half of football in the Southern Hemisphere. No coaches' challenges allowed in the last 2 minutes. They will all be automatically triggered as well. Philly does have all 3 timeouts and they're leaving their offense on the field for this 4th and 3.
Q2 0:53Todd Blackledge:Yeah, definitely in field goal range. Now remember, they got a conversion on a 4th down earlier with Jalen Hurts showing quarterback sneak and getting the hard count and drawing Green Bay offsides for the easy 5 yards. Let's see if they actually run a play or try to draw offside. No, no, no, no, no.
Q2 0:25Noah Eagle:Gainwell stays in there, gets the pass catcher out of the backfield.
Q2 0:18Todd Blackledge:I'd be surprised to see Goddard come across and go out in the flat here.
Q2 0:04Noah Eagle:And they were going with a hard count.
Q3 15:00Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I mean, they get the ball to start the second half, take the points here, make it a 2-point game, well within the range of Jake Elliott, go into the locker room with some momentum. Your quarterback has settled down from earlier in the game.
HLFNoah Eagle:Elliot, 7 of 8 last year from 50-plus, he's hit from 61. They're still having a discussion though. Elliot is definitely further away than is the entire special teams operation. And yeah, the offense is going to stay out there. Look, they do have the 2 timeouts. Yeah, we'll see if they elect to truly run one.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Well, I mean, obviously Nick Sirianni, his whole time as the head coach, has been very aggressive on fourth down and they've been very successful. But this is not a fourth and one quarterback sneak. This is an executing a play for about 4 yards to convert.
HLFNoah Eagle:Hurts on fourth and 3, rifles. Smith, did he hold on? He did. First down. What a grab.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Tight throw right between the linebacker McDuffie and the safety Bullard. And he just sits down right in between. And a nice low throw that allowed the receiver to go to the ground after the catch and avoid a big hit on the tackle.
HLFNoah Eagle:The drive stays alive. As Todd mentioned, Green Bay won the toss, decided to receive. So Philadelphia will have the ball to start the second half. Looking for the double dip. Gabe Elliott. Pushing forward for 2.
HLFTodd Blackledge:We saw Saquon Barkley the last possession kind of come off the field a little gingerly. I'm a little surprised he's not in the game right now at this point.
HLFNoah Eagle:Barkley already with 2 touchdowns in his Eagles debut. Jayden Reed with the 2 touchdowns for Green Bay. Hurts to throw on second down. Dump it. Gainwell makes 2 miss. Gainwell, a first down catch and run with some power to finish.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Well, maybe that's why Saquon's on the sideline. Beautiful play by Gainwell. Has primarily been a third down back. Now they're in kind of a hurry up 2-minute offense.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Safe, quick, easy throw for Hurts, and then Gainwell does the rest. Makes Stokes miss and turns it into a first down.
HLFNoah Eagle:McDuffie had an opportunity on the second tackle. So now it's first and 10, just outside of that goal-to-go situation. You have one timeout remaining and 43 seconds to work with. Feels like you still have a lot of opportunity opportunities and options for this Philadelphia offense. And you see Barkley still on the sideline.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Yeah, well, again, Gainwell is your third down back. He's been that during his career. You're in kind of that kind of a mode on this drive. And Jalen Hurts, you're putting the ball in his hands. You're in scoring range. You just want to come away with points no matter what.
HLFNoah Eagle:Johnson in motion. Hurts surveys, shimmy shake. Hurts can't get away. Big time play by Keisean Nixon. Loses 6 on the sack.
HLFTodd Blackledge:See, this is zone or a man-match coverage, so Nixon drops into coverage, and when he sees the crossing route go away from him, it frees him up. And so now he's got eyes on Jalen Hurts, and as soon as he sees Hurts leave the pocket, he attacks and makes the tackle and forces the final timeout for Nick Sirianni. Again, the Green Bay defense has done a wonderful job tonight defending this scrambling ability of Jalen Hurts. They have not allowed him to make a big-time play outside of the pocket.
HLFNoah Eagle:They love what Keisean Nixon provides as an all-around player. Great returner, an All-Pro the last couple of years as a returner. Started a career-high 13 games defensively a season ago. Going to take yet another step in the course of a 3-year extension.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Let's see if they want to get a matchup on A.J. Brown, he's right here now. He's working against Nixon in the slot. See if there's safety help over the top on him or not.
HLFNoah Eagle:That easily could have been a false start and it will be. Looked like Hurts was actually the one who maybe got going early.
HLFNoah Eagle:Oh no, got it. There's no exact communication now. Hurts and Jenkins up front. See, Hurts almost came back.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Hurts definitely moved and Goedert did too. But in any case, they'll back him up 5 and it's a new play because it's a new formation.
HLFNoah Eagle:Turns it into 2nd and 21. No timeouts to work with. Hurts is going to have to be judicious. Hurts, leave it. Goedert, he's going to stay in bounds. Excellent pursuit by Green Bay. And now the clock is ticking.
HLFTodd Blackledge:18 to play.
HLFNoah Eagle:They'll just have to spike it and take this field goal.
HLFTodd Blackledge:Gotta get them all set. Yep, they'll spike it. Just had to make sure they're all set. And they're letting that clock go all the way down. So this field goal attempt is the last play of the first half. That's why there wasn't more urgency by Jalen Hurts. Good clock management. End the half with this kick.
HLFNoah Eagle:So it will be Elliott, one of the more accurate kickers in the NFL. A couple of 61-yard field goals in his career, including one last year, which is the franchise record. This one will be from 38 to bring this to a 2-point game heading into the break. Lovato the snapper, Mann the holder, and Elliott's kick is true. Eagles get points to end the first half. They'll get the ball to start the second half and they have it within 2.
HLFNoah Eagle:Well, Matt, after a slow start for your offense, what changed for Jordan Love and them to find their rhythm?
HLFTodd Blackledge:Well, we just made a couple of big plays. We had 3 big explosive runs in the, in the run game, and then we have the explosive pass for 70 yards. You know, obviously Jay Reed's making some plays. But yeah, it's just down to the consistency.
HLFNoah Eagle:And we knew it wasn't going to be perfect. We just got to have that next play mentality.
HLFNoah Eagle:We've seen players continue to slip on this field. How do you address that?
HLFNoah Eagle:Yeah, you know, we got to do whatever you got to do, uh, change your cleats, but it's been a problem for sure.
HLFNoah Eagle:Well guys, Nick Sirianni couldn't help but smile when I said to him, well, now you know what Saquon Barkley looks like scoring a touchdown in an Eagles jersey. And if things go according to Sirianni's plan in the second half, we might see that again. He said our focus is going to be on continuing to get Saquon the ball. And as for that concern for players slipping on the field down here, Sirianni said he feels like they've made all the adjustments to get the right spikes on the right guys, but he said it's going to be a continued effort to keep cleaning those spikes at every opportunity. This game's going to come down to fundamentals, he said, guys.
Q3 15:00Noah Eagle:So we saw back and forth first half, but a close game entering the second half. Packers won that toss to start the game, decided to received, so it will be Eagles football. And it's an Eagles offense that's starting to hum a little bit under Kellen Moore.
Q3 14:55Todd Blackledge:Yeah, it really has. I mean, after the early interception, Jalen Hurts kind of settled down. Kellen Moore doing a nice job getting some easy throws for him early, and now I think he's kind of in his groove. Nice blend of run-pass, getting Saquon involved in this explosive offense. Use of motion to create some space.
Q3 14:51Noah Eagle:Carson sent it away. Gainwell will take a knee this time. So another touchback will bring out this Eagles offense. We saw from Jalen Hurts not necessarily as many runs as we're accustomed to see out of Hurts, and we definitely saw a little bit more under center as well.
Q3 14:48Todd Blackledge:Yeah, not very many designed runs other than the quarterback sneaks. And when he did leave the pocket again, I think Green Bay has done a really nice job against the running game. They gave up the touchdown to Barkley down in the red zone, but other than that, Green Bay's defense has been pretty stout against the run.
Q3 14:45Noah Eagle:Points on the last 3 drives after the turnovers on the first 2 drives for the Eagles offense. Barkley back in the game. There was Gainwell for most of the last drive of the half. Barkley has it on first down, tripped up after a gain of 3. Eric Wilson goes down low.
Q3 14:41Todd Blackledge:You look at this Eagles lineup, I mean, they— even without Jason Kelce, it's still going to be a top-tier offensive line in the NFL. 2 premier tackles. You've got 2 outstanding All-Pro-type receivers in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Devonta Smith. Now they add a former first-round pick in Jahan Dotson as a third receiver. You've got a tight end in Dallas Goedert. And now you add Barkley. I mean, it is an offense that has no real weaknesses to go with Jalen Hurts.
Q3 14:35Noah Eagle:Second down and 7. Hurts with time, lofts it over the top. Brown's got it. There goes A.J. Brown, blinding speed. Brown, touchdown, 67 yards.
Q3 14:32Todd Blackledge:Jaire Alexander is going to try to take a little steam out of A.J. Brown. Too strong and too big to do that. Watch the strength of A.J. Brown. He's got the speed to run by you, but the strength to shake off that little bump creates separation.
Q3 14:25Noah Eagle:And Hurts with a perfect throw, and then the top-end speed at the end of the route to turn it into a touchdown. Strength to get open, speed to get it to the end zone. We already saw Jordan Love's longest touchdown pass of Jalen Hurts' career as Elliott tacks on the extra point and makes it a 5-point Eagles advantage. So the first touchdown of the year for A.J. Brown, his 43rd of his career. And Jaire Alexander said to us he wants more targets. He's getting his wish so far. Yeah.
Q3 14:20Todd Blackledge:And this is where Jalen Hurts over the last couple of years has really made his money outside the numbers, throwing to A.J. Brown particularly and DeVonta Smith. This Eagles offense again, we just talked about all the weapons and the offensive line. The folks back in Philly loving this little double dip. They score the field goal to end the first half on the final play and then score right away in the second half.
Q3 14:14Noah Eagle:51 seconds into the half now, 4 straight drives have resulted in 3 touchdowns and the field goal for Philadelphia. Both offenses caught fire toward the end of that first half. Now we'll see if Jordan Love and company can do the same. But it's been some quick strikes and the two long receiving touchdowns, one on either side. Mann will send it away. Keisean Nixon, the best return man in the game, will watch it sail through the end zone. All right, Jordan Love, what do you got? You got two of the best quarterbacks coming from that elite 2020 draft class. With Burrow and Herbert and Tua and these two guys all with big-time extensions. We saw Love find a little bit of comfortability, had the big play to Jayden Reed, but overall it's been a fairly quiet game from J. Love.
Q3 14:02Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I don't know that he has quite found the rhythm of the game, even though he made a beautiful play stepping up in the pocket and getting the long touchdown throw. But 7 for 14, uh, he's typically a lot higher percentage than that. Credit Philadelphia defense a little bit for making him uncomfortable in that first half.
Q3 13:58Noah Eagle:Jacobs, 6 carries, 4 yards in the first half. Flea flicker, first play of the second half for Green Bay's offense. Love had time, it ran out, and he just floats it out of bounds.
Q3 13:56Todd Blackledge:Excellent coverage. Philadelphia was not fooled at all on the flea flicker. First play for Green Bay in the second half. He had plenty of time, but it was only a 2-man route, hoping they're going to fool the defense. And nobody open. Both receivers covered downfield. Really good discipline by this Eagles defense, not falling for the trick play.
Q3 13:50Noah Eagle:So Matt LaFleur dialing it up, fourth highest winning percentage among coaches in the Super Bowl era. There's a nice one. Oh, Jake lost the ball and it's picked right back up by Green Bay. Big play slay, got his hand in there, poked it loose, and it ends up being third and very short as Josh Jacobs—
Q3 13:47Todd Blackledge:Bo Melton Slay gets his shoulder right on the football. Good physical play. Unfortunately falls on it.
Q3 13:44Noah Eagle:Third and 1 out of the gun. Love pumps, fades, fires incomplete. Looking for Melton, a flag. Quay Walker, the rookie, matched up with him. Couple of flags in there, including in the backfield.
Q3 13:40Todd Blackledge:Jordan Love was just kind of throwing this one away. He was looking for Bo Melton And I think Mitchell's going to get called for the hold on that play. And then let's see what it was in the backfield. Looks to be both on Philadelphia.
Q3 13:37Noah Eagle:You see Vaughn trying to show that he was just trying to apply a little bit of pressure, maybe roughing here. That's where the flag was thrown, here where Hurts released it. Or make it Jordan Love.
Q3 13:34Todd Blackledge:Pass interference.
Q3 13:31Todd Blackledge:Here's the end of the play again. Jordan Love just kind of getting rid of this ball, and it was the forearm. It wasn't to the head and neck area, Terry. It looked more like it was in the chest.
Q3 13:28Noah Eagle:Yeah, yeah, Todd. I, I really don't— he just pushes him down, clearly not late. Within one step. So I'm not really sure what their ruling roughness is here on the passer. Appreciate the insight from 3-time Super Bowl referee Terry McCauley. But it sets this Green Bay offense up now in Philadelphia territory. Take the handoff over the middle. Beautiful ball for Tucker Kraft with room to run down the sideline inside the red zone, ushered out of bounds by Reed Blankenship. Another big gain of 28 yards.
Q3 13:21Todd Blackledge:Yeah, Nakobe Dean, number 17 got really fooled. His eyes were in the backfield. That's his coverage responsibility. He stepped up to the line of scrimmage and Kraft had a wide open seam running the drag route across the formation. You can see 17 trailing on the play. He got fooled by the run fake, stepped up to the line of scrimmage, and Kraft had an easy catch and run.
Q3 13:17Noah Eagle:So both these teams feel like they're complete football teams, but the offenses are the headlines and they're showcasing why from the second quarter on so far. Delayed handoff for Jacobs, dancing in game form. Bond wraps him up.
Q3 13:14Todd Blackledge:Jacobs, no real room to run. The best run was the one he had where he pumped it a little bit ago, but 8 carries, only 12 yards.
Q3 13:11Noah Eagle:Those have the one early catch that went for 9 yards. Can they get him more involved in the passing game, especially in this area in the red zone? Struggle to punch it in in the red zone in the first quarter. Settled for 2 field goals.
Q3 13:08Todd Blackledge:Jayden Reed has been the go-to guy down here.
Q3 13:07Noah Eagle:Love looked at him initially, just got rid of it with the pressure on his face and in the direction of Kraft. Incomplete.
Q3 13:06Todd Blackledge:Well, this is why Jalen Carter is going to be— if he plays with energy and effort all the time, he will be a dominant player. Watch him just take Jordan Morgan, the rookie right guard, and drive him all the way back to the quarterback, just whips him. I mean, he is a devastating pass rusher, physical guy with quickness and athleticism, and he just powered his way to the quarterback that time.
Q3 13:00Noah Eagle:39, pressure comes, Love fades incomplete. Another flag, Wicks matched up towards the end zone with Avonte Maddox.
Q3 12:55Todd Blackledge:And Maddox had inside leverage. It's going to be an outbreaking route. I think he felt he was beat and reached and grabbed. He was not in position to stop that outbreaking route and just instinctively grabbed and got called for the penalty. It was a pretty easy call to make.
Q3 12:51Noah Eagle:Took the Eagles 51 seconds in this third quarter to get a touchdown on the board. Green Bay marching right down the field now, the first and goal. Reed already with 2 touchdowns in motion. Love to the end zone. Watson spins his way for the touchdown.
Q3 12:43Todd Blackledge:With a route by Jayden Reed, he's going to just run to the sideline and pull a defender out of the middle, which is going to open up the slant for the big wide receiver. A little hesitation, let that route clear, let the opening happen, and then a beautifully timed and accurate throw by Jordan Love. Again, throws that a little bit off platform. He's kind of backing up, but enough on the football to get the touchdown.
Q3 12:37Noah Eagle:Darvis, an extra point. Pack right back. Christian Watson, who has been as healthy as he has been over the course of his career heading into this season. His 13th touchdown as a Packer gives them the lead.
Q3 12:33Todd Blackledge:So when Reed goes on that route, it takes the safety with him and opens up the slant. Nice big hole right there for Watson to run into. Love gets him the football. Beautiful design against man coverage there inside the 5-yard line.
Q3 12:30Noah Eagle:Another scoring drive after the lackluster offense combined 6 points in the first quarter. They combined 30 in the second, and now just a couple minutes into this third quarter, already 14 points on the board. So the back-and-forth seesaw continues as we welcome you back to the broadcast booth here in São Paulo. It's been great energy QB-wise throughout this game. And on top of that, now they're starting to put on a show.
Q3 12:20Todd Blackledge:Yeah, well, we saw Jalen Hurts kind of get in his flow and his rhythm in the second quarter. Now Jordan Love in that particular possession looked really good, accurate, knows where he wanted to go with the football. So I think we're heading for some more fireworks before this one's over.
Q3 12:14Noah Eagle:Saquon Barkley obviously got off to the quick start. Let's see if they can reincorporate him in this third quarter. Barkley in there on first down, fake it to him.
Q3 12:07Todd Blackledge:Hurts bootleg.
Q3 12:07Noah Eagle:Oh, nearly a dangerous Throw knocked down. Beautiful hands by Rashan Gary.
Q3 12:05Todd Blackledge:Well, this was a staple of the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott when Kellen Moore was there. Under center and bootleg. First time we've seen it today, and Rashan Gary plays it perfectly. He runs with Goedert, stays right in the passing lane, and is able to get the knockdown.
Q3 11:58Noah Eagle:Barkley with only the 10 carries so far. He's had 2 catches including the touchdown reception. Cover the motion, man. Barkley, the handoff, shimmy shake, tripped up. Impressive tackle by Edgerrin Cooper, the rookie out of Texas A&M.
Q3 11:48Todd Blackledge:Got just enough of him right around the ankles. He had the edge of the defense.
Q3 11:46Noah Eagle:Cooper goes off, second round pick this year, All-American last season out of the SEC. Hurts feels the pressure. No, he doesn't. Down he goes, devoured. Rashan Gary wreaking havoc on this drive.
Q3 11:37Todd Blackledge:I think that the offensive line for Philly thought there was an infraction in the neutral zone and they kind of stopped. Lane Johnson never got out of his stance. I mean, he's an All-Pro tackle. He was looking inside. I think they felt like the play was going to be stopped and it wasn't. And Rashan Gary just went right around Lane Johnson. There was movement on the interior of the Packer defensive line. And Rashan Gary took advantage of it with his quickness and got to the quarterback.
Q3 11:22Noah Eagle:This is the first Philadelphia punt of the season, a couple of minutes into the third quarter. Braden Mann will send it away. It's off cleanly. Reed back, calls for the fair catch and makes it at the 20. Let's take a look at our Next Gen Stats powered by AWS. You talk about Reed, you talk about speed, but you talk about big play ability. And that's what we saw with the two touchdowns.
Q3 11:10Todd Blackledge:Yeah, this little end around we saw was Xavier Worthy last night for the Chiefs, a similar kind of touchdown. Then the long touchdown reception. Jayden Reed had the most receiving yards on this team last year as a rookie out of Michigan State, and off to a great start in game number 1 here in Brazil.
Q3 11:01Noah Eagle:10 total touchdowns last year, 8 of them receiving touchdowns, which was a Green Bay rookie record in the Super Bowl era. Emanuel Wilson popped off 2 big runs in the second quarter in there. First down throw, Love delivers. Doubs, first down, picks up 12.
Q3 10:53Todd Blackledge:Beautiful timing and rhythm throw. Again, it hasn't been the smoothest game so far for Jordan Love, but that last drive was big for him, and this is a perfect throw on rhythm, timing, accuracy, and another first down for the Packers.
Q3 10:42Noah Eagle:Dialton Cooper's third catch, spreading it around with 5 different receivers. Wilson stays in there and that is an illegal shift. Flag is down. They don't call the play dead. Tucker Kraft moves and then look confused midway through it.
Q3 10:31Todd Blackledge:They were at the line of scrimmage for a long time. The 2 guys moving at the same time, they were checking obviously the play changing at the line of scrimmage and Tucker Kraft, illegal shift by the offense.
Q3 10:23Todd Blackledge:There's Kraft. They can both move, but they both have to be set before the ball is snapped. And he obviously was not.
Q3 10:19Noah Eagle:So the penalties continue to pile up now. Combined 13 between these two teams. Jordan Love led the NFL in passing yards from weeks 11 through 18 last year, 2,150 yards. Starting to find that form in the second quarter, and certainly on that last drive, as Todd outlined, play-action pass, plenty of time, a rifle, and he just skipped it to Reed.
Q3 10:04Todd Blackledge:Yeah, good protection, and this is just a miss. Jordan Love just missed this one. He's in the pocket, he throws on time and on rhythm, but just drives it into the ground short of the receiver. And he knows it. And those are ones he normally does not miss.
Q3 9:55Noah Eagle:I think Matt LaFleur said about his quarterback, he said his best superpower might be the fact that he's unflappable. He never gets too high or too low. You'll just always see him right at that center, right even-keeled. He can put that bad play behind him quickly. Oh, that's a drop. Doubs a little bit behind him, but a catchable ball. It could have been a first down instead. Third and 15.
Q3 9:46Todd Blackledge:Third and 15. I would expect to see Vic Fangio right now play a little zone defense, try to get some pressure with 4, make a throw underneath and come up and rally to the football and force a punt here. Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff, a new acquisition for the Jets, on the edge.
Q3 9:31Noah Eagle:Set up the screen. Oh, it's blown up by Dean! Flag is down. Dean with a big hit on Wilson. Eagles pointing towards the Packers side.
Q3 9:18Todd Blackledge:Twice in the drive Really read that play well. I mean, Green Bay has blockers coming out on that screen pass, but not if they're going as fast to the football as Nakobe Dean was. A lot of Georgia defensive football players on this Eagles roster. He's filling in for Devin White, who they picked up from the Buccaneers but is not here on the trip this week.
Q3 9:06Noah Eagle:He will send it to Covey, who is dangerous as a punt returner. Starting from inside the 20, flag comes in. Covey gets level just shy of the 30. A pair of penalties on this play. It was a 56-yard punt, 13-yard return, pending this announcement from Ron Torbert. Nakobe Dean now in his third year. You've got Isaiah Rodgers out for this game after serving his year-long suspension last year, signed by Philadelphia in August of last year, but they expect him to be a big part of this secondary. James Bradberry missing this game on IR, but the 9-year veteran, a big part of this defense as well. So when they're whole, we know that they're gonna be tough to handle, and those 3 guys are going to be a big part of it for Vic Fangio and company. But so far today, despite the couple explosive plays and drives, both defenses have had moments where, like, okay, this is— this has an opportunity to be an elite unit if they put it all together. Extended discussion on the two markers. Terry, what do we got going on here? So yeah, this is, this is what we call a double whiff. There's a foul by the offense prior to the kick and then a foul by the return team during the return. So the receiving team can either accept the upfront foul and replay the down or decline it and be penalized for the block in the back. All right. We'll see what decision—
Q3 8:03Noah Eagle:So you know that there's been a lot of penalties when Ron Torbert is losing his voice early in the 3rd set.
Q3 8:00Todd Blackledge:So I'm just curious, Terry, that this was ruled an illegal blindside block, but it was a block on a gunner. I mean, it was a guy running down. I don't know, I guess he came from out of the vision, maybe.
Q3 7:49Todd Blackledge:Is that okay?
Q3 7:30Todd Blackledge:They're getting their money's worth, that's for sure. We are entertaining football game here.
Q3 7:28Noah Eagle:Barkley in there on first down. Barkley Through the hole, picks up about 8.
Q3 7:23Todd Blackledge:Really nice double team by the center, Jurgens, and the left guard, Landon Dickerson. A little tempo now from this Philadelphia offense after that good run on first down. Tiger wire, tiger wire, tiger wire.
Q3 7:12Noah Eagle:Game football opportunity. Drive from Jalen Hurts. Keeps it himself, tries to get away, he can't. Preston Smith was with him every step.
Q3 7:08Todd Blackledge:Well, again, Green Bay has been well-schooled and well-prepared to not allow Jalen Hurts to beat him as a runner. 2 years ago, he had a career-high 157 yards rushing. Tonight, that was his 8th carry, and he's only totaled 14 yards.
Q3 6:59Noah Eagle:This is a Green Bay defense that really struggled against the run last year, allowed 134 rushing yards in the last 2 seasons, which was the 3rd most in the NFL. They've allowed 60 so far today. Fake the handoff. Hurts had to get rid of it. Spun down by McDuffie. Did they whistle it dead? They did. Alexander thought he was going to walk his way into the end zone.
Q3 6:47Todd Blackledge:Well, if he was throwing it away, the ball did not cross the line of scrimmage. And so this has a good chance of being intentional grounding again. Well defended by Green Bay as Hurts left the pocket. Quick pressure by McDuffie. And that ball did not cross the line of scrimmage.
Q3 6:32Noah Eagle:And can someone please get Ron Torbert a cough drop? So impacted by the hit. Punt sent away by Mann. Jayden Reed back. He will take it in at the 12. So a couple of punts in a row after a 48-yard boot. It'll be Green Bay's offense back in control midway through the third. They wanted to get a feel for football in Brazil and it has delivered. To your point, the game has delivered on top of it and it should be a fantastic finish between two teams with Super Bowl hopes in week one. Which the motion man, Jacobs, the handoff slips a tackle. Jacobs weaves his way through, turning the leg for 8.
Q3 6:09Todd Blackledge:And Jalen Carter had penetration into the backfield, but Jacobs showing his strength and ability to break a tackle and turn what looked like was going to be a negative yardage play into an 8-yard gain.
Q3 5:59Noah Eagle:Jacob's relatively quiet in his first game as a Packer. 10 touches for 19 rushing yards. Barkley, yards haven't been piling up, but the touchdowns have. An efficient day so far for Saquon. Here's Jacob Monk first down run. Flag is down. Similar to what we saw earlier, he bounced it to the outside, then the penalty came in.
Q3 5:48Todd Blackledge:This is Rasheed Walker. I mean, this is an Easy call to make on the left tackle. Reached out with his right arm and got him up around the neck area.
Q3 5:41Todd Blackledge:Couple penalties on Rasheed Walker in the ballgame. Easy call, reaching on Josh Sweat. Backs the Packers up again.
Q3 5:32Noah Eagle:After his first real legitimate run, penalty gets Jacobs and this offense back to 2nd and 11. Love floats over the middle. Dangerous! Picked off! Reed Blankenship.
Q3 5:21Todd Blackledge:Well, this was really well played by Zack Baun, first of all. I mean, Zack Baun does a great job of running from the line of scrimmage and getting underneath the route. And then here's Baun. Watch him run underneath the route, force the ball to be thrown a little outside, and Blankenship comes away with the interception. But Baun showing his quickness coming from the line of scrimmage, altered the throw and the picture. And Blankenship— see if this stands or not.
Q3 5:06Noah Eagle:That should.
Q3 5:05Todd Blackledge:Oh yeah.
Q3 5:05Noah Eagle:Blankenship had his first career interception against the Packers in 2022 and delivers once again to get the Eagles right back in scoring position. St. Covey in motion. Now Hurts to throw. Right post. Smith for 8.
Q3 4:56Todd Blackledge:The thing about DeVonta Smith, he has such a great feel for the game. He's a much different receiver than A.J. Brown, just just knows how to feel his way in zones, knows how to feel leveraged by a defender, sits down as a nice target, and that time makes a nice—
Q3 4:48Noah Eagle:Field goal, field goal, field goal, field goal! Barkley already with 2 touchdowns on the day. The spin move and a first down. Lukas Van Ness dragged him down.
Q3 4:38Todd Blackledge:Nice job by Lane Johnson. Brandon Johnson pulling on that play, leading the way for Barkley for the first down.
Q3 4:31Noah Eagle:Barkley got the largest deal a running back has gotten in Philly since 2015. Barkley pushing 8 more. There's that 600-pound squat in full effect.
Q3 4:24Todd Blackledge:A really nice block by Cam Jurgens. Watch the center, 51, get out and lead on the middle linebacker, and then just the power of Barkley. And once he gets to the second level, he is not an easy guy to bring down. Takes 3 or 4 Packers to get him on the ground.
Q3 4:16Noah Eagle:Jalen Hurts tied an NFL record with Josh Allen with 15 rushing touchdowns last year. Instead, he gives it to his running back, and Barkley fights. Touchdown! It's a hat trick for the newest Eagle!
Q3 4:02Todd Blackledge:Again, just the lower body strength. Watch him drag a couple of tacklers into the end zone. He's stopped right here. He keeps the legs moving and he pulls defenders with them and gets that ball to break the plane.
Q3 3:56Noah Eagle:It has been confirmed. Elliott will look to add the extra point and Philly goes up 31-26. Saquon Barkley, 60 yards on the ground. It was the Reed Blankenship interception that set them up already into the red zone, and Barkley with the power and the tenacity finishes it off for his third of the day.
Q3 3:44Noah Eagle:But what Brown didn't expect from his former division rival was that Saquon's now the funniest teammate he has.
Q3 3:41Noah Eagle:Great personality, big-time smile. And this look at Saquon Barkley is brought to you by Accenture.
Q3 3:38Todd Blackledge:Well, he's had quite a debut. 3 touchdowns, 15 carries. In the ballgame. 60 yards, 2 receptions, this touchdown on the beautiful throw by Hurts. But showing some wiggle, showing some burst, showing some power on this, his third touchdown. And, uh, homecoming, his family's from close to Philadelphia, wanted to be there. He's got 2 young kids, they can see their grandparents. It's, it's been a great opportunity for him to come back to that area. And what a way to start his career as a Philadelphia Eagle.
Q3 3:23Noah Eagle:Of course, a lot legendary career at Penn State and back in state. He is continuing to produce. Doubs with a tough catch and squeezes forward for 8 more.
Q3 3:19Todd Blackledge:Now we get a chance to see that resiliency in Jordan Love that Matt LaFleur talks so much about. Doesn't get fazed. Had the bad interception on the last possession, led to the Eagles taking the lead, and now he's got the football back and a nice throw on first down.
Q3 3:10Noah Eagle:Doubs with 4 catches, Reed with 2, Watson with 2. Kraft with 2 and Jacobs with 1. We still haven't seen Dontayvion Wicks bring one in or Luke Musgrave. Up the middle, Jacobs for a first down. That is the one thing that this receiving core and the tight ends, running backs on this team, they all understand that it could be anybody's day on any given day. And I love what Jayden Reed said to us. He said, we know that the ball finds good energy, bring good energy. And you'll find the football.
Q3 2:54Todd Blackledge:It's a very unselfish group. They're all about the same age. They're all working on rookie contracts, and they're all kind of in a good place in that room right now. Wide receivers and tight ends.
Q3 2:49Noah Eagle:First down throw, Love, loss, incomplete, coming a little bit behind Wicks.
Q3 2:46Todd Blackledge:Yep, that ball was thrown inside. The rule of thumb is throw the outs out. Quinyon Mitchell was in good position in coverage, reads the route, The ball's thrown inside and Mitchell's able to get there and knock it away. If it's thrown outside, it's probably a catch.
Q3 2:37Noah Eagle:There's a reason Quinyon Mitchell was taken with the 22nd overall pick this year. First Toledo football player taken in the first round since Dan Williams in 1993. Didn't allow a touchdown in coverage in college last year. Jacobs wiggles his way on the catch and run for a first down pickup of 11.
Q3 2:28Todd Blackledge:The Packers under LaFleur have been a good screen team. Aaron Jones, the guy that was their running back, was excellent in the screen game.
Q3 2:24Noah Eagle:C.J. Gardner-Johnson pointing to his left hand and noticeably frustrated as the staff comes on, getting him back from Detroit. They played a couple of games last year. He comes in to make the play. What happened after the fact? Yeah, he knew it immediately too. So C.J. Gardner-Johnson heads towards the sideline and this drive will continue. You see the numbers for C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Nick Sirianni had mentioned just how excited he was to have him back from an energy perspective. You know, it's a guy that can go out and he can get you the football. One of his fondest memories as a head coach, winning the NFC Championship a couple of seasons ago. And the first player he saw was C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They hugged it out. They were crying together, tears of joy. But with C.J. Gardner-Johnson off, that'll bring in Tristin McCollum. A little less experience in that back line with Reed Blankenship coming off the interception. Jacobs after the catch and run. Now he's finding some space. Jacobs into the secondary and a gashing run. Blankenship with the tackle, but Jacobs gets 22 on the ground.
Q3 1:41Todd Blackledge:What a great block by Zach Tom, the right tackle. Watch number 50 just kind of crash down. Little double team that allows the center Myers to get up on the linebacker and then the burst by Josh Jacobs. Yeah, Zach Tom is the most consistent on this Green Bay offensive line.
Q3 1:30Noah Eagle:Meanwhile, C.J. Gardner-Johnson back in there. There's his first down. Ride the hot hand. Jacobs looking to get away. He can't. Zack Baun in pursuit.
Q3 1:24Todd Blackledge:This guy's kind of fun to watch. I mean, super athletic out of Wisconsin. He was an outside linebacker there, an outside linebacker when he played in New Orleans. Now he's moved inside, but you just see his skill set, his athleticism. We saw him run under the interception on the last possession. And this time we see him run to the sideline and make the tackle.
Q3 1:13Noah Eagle:Vaughn, dual threat quarterback in high school, 2 state basketball titles, school record in high jump and the 200-meter dash. Swing it, Wilson and Vaughn.
Q3 1:07Todd Blackledge:Remember Nick Sirianni? He was gushing about him. He said he told his whole team, he said somebody on this team, one of your teammates in high school was responsible for 94 touchdowns. Who do you think it was? They're guessing all different kind of guys. When he told them it was Zack Baun, nobody could believe it.
Q3 1:00Noah Eagle:He also showed basketball highlights of everybody. I mean, Cooper DeJean certainly turned some heads with some of the dunks that he provided for his high school career. But they said Zack Baun was one of the most surprising and impressive basketball players on the team. Sets up a 3rd and 10 after the tackle. It might not seem like that.
Q3 0:51Todd Blackledge:He's been kind of quiet so far. Is Bryce Huff right there, the guy they got from the Jets?
Q3 0:48Noah Eagle:Love delivers incomplete on the fingertips of Reed.
Q3 0:46Todd Blackledge:That's what they wanted, had the one-on-one matchup. The defender was inside because of the motion and just a misfire and a miscommunication maybe between Love and Reed.
Q3 0:40Noah Eagle:So Brayden Narvison, the rookie signed after preseason concluded, with his third attempt of the night, hit from 31 and 23 in the first quarter. This one will be from 43 yards out.
Q3 0:33Todd Blackledge:Interesting path. 4 different schools in 6 years of college. His debut in the NFL.
Q3 0:30Noah Eagle:Oh, that one hit the upright. Missed it. First blemish for the rookie, and the Eagles keep this 5-point cushion. Just curled off to the right. Special teams. Green Bay's got one of the premier special teams coordinators in the NFL in Rich Bisaccia, and they were excited about this kid. He showed off some of that nerve of steel that they expected to see just based on what they had seen through practice. But his first miss sets up the Eagles now at the end of the third. Handoff Barkley. Barkley, look out! Home run! Saquon Barkley has that big playability.
Q3 0:04Todd Blackledge:It's like an outside zone play and he's got great blocking in front of him and Landon Dickerson kind of springs him for the big run.
Q4 15:00Noah Eagle:33 yards on the ground for Barkley, who's cooking now as we head to the fourth. You're watching NFL Kickoff Weekend, NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. Fourth quarter here in São Paulo, first NFL game in South America, and Jordan Love, who found the rhythm late second, early third quarter, now getting worked on on that sideline.
Q4 14:47Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I saw him, you know, after a couple plays kind of pulling his toes up. Don't know if he's cramping in his calves or what. It's not a hot day here, but that's not always indicative of what's going on in your body.
Q4 14:40Noah Eagle:Barkley gets a rest after the big run, gives him 94 on the day to go with his 3 touchdowns. Kenneth Gainwell in there. Good throw, knocked away. Read beautifully by this Green Bay defense and Edgerrin Cooper, the rookie.
Q4 14:31Todd Blackledge:Yeah, a little RPO that time. That's a run-pass option. The line was blocking run, and that's just between the quarterback and the wide receiver to lift up and throw. And really well played by Edgerrin Cooper.
Q4 14:22Noah Eagle:Seen the impact rookies. It was Javon Bullard who actually saved that last touchdown in the last run of the third quarter. As Love continues to get worked on on the Green Bay sideline, Bullard and Cooper make an impact on this Green Bay defense. Barkley split out wide here. Love uncourts over the middle, wide open. Calcaterra will get the first down.
Q4 14:07Todd Blackledge:Well, because it was an empty backfield, Green Bay blitzed Quay Walker. That only left one inside linebacker, so a lot of space to cover, and Calcaterra was wide open and an easy throw for Jalen Hurts.
Q4 13:59Noah Eagle:Barkley producing, A.J. Brown over 100 yards producing, Jalen Hurts now at 241 and the two touchdowns producing. Looking for more, he's got it to Brown and another first down catch.
Q4 13:52Todd Blackledge:They've got Green Bay spread out right now with this empty look. They're really threatening the whole field. Green Bay back in a 2-safety look, and Jalen Hurts is just looking for the matchup, and that time it was A.J. Brown working on Nixon. Hurts keeps, wrapped up in the backfield.
Q4 13:33Noah Eagle:Looked like it was a read and Hurts maybe made the wrong one. Loss of 3.
Q4 13:30Todd Blackledge:Seems the tempo for Kellen Moore's offense, variety has most certainly been there.
Q4 13:22Noah Eagle:26 runs, 31 passes, keeping this defense on its heels. Now a second and 13.
Q4 13:18Todd Blackledge:Trips into the boundary here, another different little wrinkle formation.
Q4 13:14Noah Eagle:Hurts pumps and just fires to the sideline. Dangerous. Keisean Nixon had a beat to that football, and it's 3rd and 13.
Q4 13:10Todd Blackledge:Well, they were trying to fake the screen and throw to the end zone. Green Bay was not fooled. Watch Hurts fake the screen, and then they're going to try to get the ball to DeVonta Smith, but nobody was open, so he tries to come back late to Dotson, and very lucky that that wasn't picked off. Green Bay, excellent discipline on that play, didn't go for the screen fake.
Q4 12:58Noah Eagle:Barkley split out again. Third and 13. Just get it off. Hurts flushed. Hurts directing traffic, looking end zone. Oh, it's picked off! Jaire Alexander looking to take it out, developing. Alexander tracked down by Smith. He didn't have a single interception in regular season last year, but he said when it's money time, that's where I'm ready to go. Had one in the postseason and he comes up with a huge pick right here.
Q4 12:35Todd Blackledge:First time Hurts gets outside the pocket but makes a costly decision throwing across his body in the red zone, intercepted.
Q4 12:30Noah Eagle:Just a couple minutes into this fourth quarter, Jaire Alexander, who said, you know, he's— I've only really gotten 2 or 3 targets per game the last couple years, that's why the interceptions are down. Well, he wanted more. He's gotten more. Comes up with a huge play to get his offense back on the field. Here's Jacobs. Jacobs through the hole. Jacob Monk his feet and Jacobs out of bounds at the 45.
Q4 12:14Todd Blackledge:Well, not very much running room for most of this game for Josh Jacobs, but his last couple carries, some green grass opening up. Good block by Rashid on the left side. Rasheed Walker, the left tackle, gets a nice block and Jacobs with the burst to the outside, breaks a tackle. C.J. Gardner-Johnson. That's the most open space that Josh Jacobs has seen today, and he capitalizes.
Q4 11:56Noah Eagle:He had a run of 22 yards on the last drive. That one goes for 32. He's up to 76 for the day and looking for more. Wrapped up, just tackled down low by Nakobe Dean.
Q4 11:47Todd Blackledge:Dean is a little undersized, but he's very athletic. Let's go back to the interception by Jaire Alexander, number 23. Watch it. Him just kind of fall back into this. A ill-advised throw by Jalen Hurts to throw back across his body, but an instinctive play by Alexander. That wasn't his man, he was just in zone coverage and kind of fell back into it when he saw the quarterback looking that way.
Q4 11:31Noah Eagle:Second down and 11. Love rifles Watson, wrapped up by Mitchell. Let's go down to Kelee.
Q4 11:27Noah Eagle:About 10 minutes straight during that last Eagles drive, getting both of his halves stretched out and massaged, but he barely took his eyes off the field while he was getting worked on. And just about the second Jaire Alexander had that pick in his hands, Love was on his feet putting his helmet on, ready to get back out there.
Q4 11:15Noah Eagle:Now these guys know the type of passion that Jordan Love plays with. You might not necessarily always outwardly see it, but that fire is there. Third down and 5. Love now up to 199 yards with 2 touchdowns and a pick.
Q4 11:05Todd Blackledge:You have Watson going against Maddox at the top.
Q4 11:04Noah Eagle:Love sets, fires, may have been hit, doesn't matter. Jayden Reed right there for the big reception.
Q4 10:57Todd Blackledge:Well, this is the rookie now. Quinyon Mitchell gets caught with his eyes in the backfield. Watch as Reed goes on the crossing route. He's going to go behind Quinyon Mitchell. Number 27 got caught peeking into the backfield. He should have had that deep responsibility, and Reed runs right behind him with a big catch. It's really the first time that Mitchell has looked like a rookie out there. He's played very well. That time his eyes were in the wrong place.
Q4 10:38Noah Eagle:Reed said year 2, the understanding of this playbook, it's allowed him to go out there and play fast. He has nice run by Emanuel Wilson. So Reed over 100 yards, 105 through the air with a touchdown. He also had the 33-yard rushing touchdown. So 138 all-purpose yards for the second-year man out of Michigan State. And now Emanuel Wilson is this one-two punch with Josh Jacobs. Is starting to look quite strong.
Q4 10:19Todd Blackledge:Yeah, 374 yards of offense now for Green Bay, picking things up. The running game has gotten much better. It all starts up front.
Q4 10:11Noah Eagle:Looks for without a catch in motion, play action, bootleg below, does complete, fires complete. Wilson hangs on after the big hit from Bond. Move the sticks on another first down completion. Both quarterbacks have found 6 different receivers in this game. Now Jacobs back in there. You've seen Saquon Barkley go for 3 touchdowns in his Eagles debut, and the other star running back, Josh Jacobs, line in the end zone in his Packers debut. Patient, weaving, Jacobs inside the 10, continuing to push, pulled down at the 8.
Q4 9:34Todd Blackledge:Well, we know this guy can carry the load for Green Bay. I mean, since he came into the league, there's only one guy, right, Derrick Henry, that's carried the ball more than he has in his career.
Q4 9:27Noah Eagle:Certainly capable of going deep in ball games and being an every-down back. This second half, he has proven it. 8.5 yards per carry, got over 1,300 carries since coming to the league. As mentioned, Derrick Henry McAtamney the only one with more than 1,500-plus. Had a touchdown for the Ravens yesterday in his debut. Love just throws it into the stands.
Q4 9:14Todd Blackledge:Excellent coverage in the end zone. 4 defenders against 3 receivers. Stuffed that play out. Jordan Love just had to throw it away.
Q4 9:07Noah Eagle:Had a little bunch.
Q4 9:07Todd Blackledge:They're trying to get Watson to the back of the end zone. Pretty good pressure collapses the pocket, but nowhere to go with the football, and Love smartly throws it away.
Q4 9:01Noah Eagle:Another slight slip from Love. And then flexing that calf once again after the play. Sets up third down and five. Wilson out wide.
Q4 8:52Todd Blackledge:Brown out there with him.
Q4 8:50Noah Eagle:Love delivers incomplete. Doubs the intended target a little too high as Maddox did deliver a little contact.
Q4 8:45Todd Blackledge:Delivered a little contact, but I'm not sure that ball was catchable. Good ball for Doubs.
Q4 8:36Noah Eagle:Yeah, just too tall there, so Green Bay will send out the field goal unit after Narvison missed his last attempt. Love took a shot from Ajama. This one from 26, Orzech the snap, Wheelan the hold, and Narvison brings this game—
Q4 8:22Todd Blackledge:well, and you know, we were in Michigan for a week one of the college football season, flew in and out of Detroit. And I mean, that city is ready. They're ready for another NFL season. They got into it last year. They know they've got a team that can win. They get to welcome their friend Matthew Stafford back into the Motor City. They love Jared Goff. So that's an incredible matchup. When you think about it, last night we saw two outstanding quarterbacks duel it out. Two great ones here dueling it out, both from the same 2020 draft class. And then finishing it up Sunday night with Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. It doesn't get much better than that. Watching NFL football.
Q4 8:00Noah Eagle:When you've got elite quarterback play, you've got elite play, period. And now we're excited to give you a first look at how newly retired Jason Kelce spends his Sundays, thanks to the NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube. And 50,000 people that have been engaged from the opening kick, and they are getting a great game, a 2-point game with just under 8 to play. And another touchback here as Gainwell takes the knee.
Q4 7:47Todd Blackledge:Well, if you're Philadelphia, as much as Saquon Barkley has done for you already, this is what First down for Philadelphia.
Q4 7:40Noah Eagle:Handoff Barkley. Quay Walker right there. Barkley loses 3.
Q4 7:32Todd Blackledge:Nice job by Walker shooting the gap, beats Landon Dickerson to the point. Landon Dickerson, an outstanding guard, one of the leaders on this offensive line, but Quay Walker beat him to the spot that time.
Q4 7:26Noah Eagle:Meanwhile, A.J. Brown was slow to get up. He is on his feet and walking off, appears to be okay, but slight stoppage. Let's take another look. Why?
Q4 7:20Todd Blackledge:That's Javon Bullard, the rookie second-round pick out of Georgia. Put a good hit on him.
Q4 7:16Noah Eagle:That's not easy to do.
Q4 7:15Todd Blackledge:No, and A.J.
Q4 7:15Noah Eagle:Brown, 6'1", 226— he might even be bigger than that— and Bullard at 5'10", 198, came with a crush.
Q4 7:12Todd Blackledge:And you know what, on one of Barkley's long runs, he got a nice block downfield, and that was maybe just a little bit of a payback by the youngster out of Georgia.
Q4 7:07Noah Eagle:So Love still getting work done on the sideline. Second down and 12.
Q4 7:03Todd Blackledge:Play action.
Q4 6:57Noah Eagle:Hurts stays in the pocket.
Q4 6:56Todd Blackledge:Serve base.
Q4 6:56Noah Eagle:Hurts flagged down. Hurts throws it away.
Q4 6:53Todd Blackledge:Yeah, there's a flag down in the defensive backfield, which is Probably going to give the Eagles a first down. It was good coverage, there was nobody open, and Hurts ends up throwing the football away.
Q4 6:41Todd Blackledge:It's second down, they're behind the sticks, second and 12, and a defensive holding penalty there gives them an automatic first down. Critical penalty against the Packers. Working on DeVonta Smith, the in-breaking route. I don't know about this. They're both kind of slipping. They both have hands on each other. That's a tough one.
Q4 6:25Noah Eagle:Eagles will start at 10-1 in back-to-back seasons, looking to push their way through. And that guy is certainly going to help. Saquon Barkley, the 3 touchdowns, another gashing play down the middle.
Q4 6:19Todd Blackledge:Again, this is where you want to lean on Saquon Barkley. He's had a great game, but now you've got a 2-point lead and you want to work the clock. You want to run the football and work the clock and try to wear down this Green Bay offense. And if they do get the ball back, you want to limit their number of possessions, their number of opportunities with the football.
Q4 6:08Noah Eagle:Saquon over 100 yards for his 18th career 100-yard rushing game. He's also now over 100 scrimmage yards for all 4 career games against Green Bay in Looking to add more. That's going to be enough for the first down. Barkley showcasing just how dangerous he can be in this Eagles offense. DeVonta Smith has been semi-quiet by his own standards. 5 catches, 57 yards. Goddard with a 31. We haven't seen Jahan Dotson make his first catch as an Eagle quite yet, but Kellen Moore just showcasing how dangerous this group can be. With all the options at his disposal.
Q4 5:44Todd Blackledge:Good job by Jalen Hurts letting that play clock go all the way down, really working the clock.
Q4 5:41Noah Eagle:Maybe it goes too far.
Q4 5:39Todd Blackledge:Nick Sirianni had to call timeout. He let it get too far down on that one, and Nick calls timeout. Doesn't want to go backwards on this drive.
Q4 5:32Noah Eagle:This is the 32nd timeout, so Philly will have to talk it over as a result. Nick Sirianni, there's been so much chatter after the way last season ended. The team started 10-1 but really faltered down the stretch over the course of the second, really latter portion of that schedule. They lose in the wild card 32-9 at Tampa Bay, and it was, what's the culture going to look like? What's the relationship with his quarterback going to look like? We've heard at least from their mouths specifically how great everything has felt, that the vibe overall in camp has been where it's supposed to be. And you mentioned having the new coordinators Yeah, he's taken a different role. It feels like he's got control of this team once again.
Q4 5:10Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I think so. And you know, and he told us, and this is true, I mean, when things go south like they did for the Eagles last year, all the heat falls on the head coach and the quarterback. Both of them took heat in the offseason and are both ready for a new start for 2024.
Q4 5:01Noah Eagle:Roll send his running back out wide. Gainwell. Hurts looking to escape. Hurts will run. Hurts slips down into Packer territory.
Q4 4:52Todd Blackledge:Prior to that run, 9 carries for 11 yards. That time, a run for 8 yards and gets him close to another first down. He hasn't been able to escape outside and make a play. This time, he steps up inside and turns it into an 8-yard gain. And he did slip, but I think he was also going down to avoid the hit.
Q4 4:40Noah Eagle:Hurts had 100 rushing yards in the first quarter 2 years ago against Green Bay, had 150-plus on the day. Gets to the outside, Gainwell makes the catch, but a flag is down. We've had a combined 15 penalties so far.
Q4 4:22Todd Blackledge:We saw this called a few times last night in the opening game in Kansas City. It's Lane Johnson, the right tackle. Here he is. Can't be in kind of that wing formation. His helmet has to break the belt line of the center. That's the official rule.
Q4 4:11Noah Eagle:Too far back on that one, so it sets up second and seven instead of a first down catch from Danwell. Hurts in trouble. Dangerous right in the direction of Alexander again, blanketing A.J. Brown. But another flag is down on the field.
Q4 3:59Todd Blackledge:Well, this is going to be an ineligible man downfield on Philadelphia, which could back him up further. Interesting to see that time Hurts had to double clutch. There was pressure, he double clutched, and very lucky that wasn't Intercepted as well.
Q4 3:45Noah Eagle:So hold on. Jurgens the center. Take a look at this matchup that we were real excited about coming in.
Q4 3:42Todd Blackledge:Great job by A.J. Brown actually becoming defender on that play because Alexander was in position for the pick and A.J. Brown went from receiver to defensive back and knocked it to the ground.
Q4 3:35Noah Eagle:Big play in this fourth quarter.
Q4 3:33Todd Blackledge:They don't have to get it all back. If they can get 5 or 6, it could be 4-down territory for Jalen Hurts in the quarterback sneak.
Q4 3:28Noah Eagle:Hurts all day. Hurts tucks and runs, and he'll be short. It'll bring up fourth and short, and I know this is going to sound shocking, there's a flag on the field. Hurts thinks it's going against Green Bay. Matt LaFleur disagrees, and based on that reaction, Hurts may have been correct.
Q4 3:01Noah Eagle:Kenny Clark.
Q4 2:58Todd Blackledge:What number did he say?
Q4 2:58Noah Eagle:He said 97, Kenny Clark.
Q4 2:55Todd Blackledge:Boy, what a costly penalty.
Q4 2:54Noah Eagle:I see it.
Q4 2:53Todd Blackledge:Oh, I see there's a, there's a back trying to get out. Barkley's trying to get out in the route, and Kenny Clark grabs him, but Jalen Hurts has already decided to take off and run as well. What a costly penalty. New set of downs, and again Philadelphia working the clock.
Q4 2:43Noah Eagle:Barkley collides after a gain of 1. Nice play by this linebacking core that have been all over the field on both sides. But Isaiah McDuffie, who played for his new defensive coordinator at Boston College, Jeff Hafley, making a big one. And this is the time for Jeff Hafley in his first game in his new role to showcase what he's made of. Jordan Love impatiently waiting on the sideline for his shot to go win the game. See how costly that missed field goal from Narvison will prove to be. Barkley in motion, second and 8. Hurts looking to get away. Walker tries to get to him, and Hurts fighting for the extra yards.
Q4 2:15Todd Blackledge:This is what makes Jalen Hurts special, right? Nowhere to run for the first 3 and a half quarters of this game. Now the game is on the line. The most important drive for the Philadelphia offense, and Jalen Hurts is making big-time runs. Turns into a fullback, runs through the tackle. Unbelievable. Eric Stokes, the corner, that's a handful trying to tackle Jalen Hurts.
Q4 2:00Noah Eagle:That's what Saquon Barkley mentioned, the work in the weight room. You see that as the result. Barkley, big loss down at the 35. Devonta Wyatt got through that offensive line along with Kingsley Enagbare. Got to wonder at what point will Green Bay start using those timeouts. It'll have to be at least one more play before the 2-minute warning here. Philadelphia's had the ball for over 5 minutes.
Q4 2:05Todd Blackledge:Get right, get right.
Q4 2:06Noah Eagle:Here's the 10th play of the drive. Going to the air. Hurts complete. Smith breaks a tackle. Smith's got a first down in the red zone. 16-yard pickup and DeVonta Smith proving to be Mr. Reliable once again.
Q4 2:11Todd Blackledge:A little mix-up. Watch Quay Walker, number 7, point light. Who's picking him up? All right, I passed him off. He doesn't get picked up. DeVonta Smith doing a great job of protecting the football as he comes across the middle. But a little miscommunication in that mid-level of the Packer defense, and DeVonta Smith makes them pay for it.
Q4 2:15Noah Eagle:So Green Bay will take its first timeout with 2:15 to play. Got 2 and the 2-minute warning remaining, so you really only have these 3 plays to get the stop and force the field goal from Philadelphia.
Q4 2:13Todd Blackledge:Uh, Jalen Hurts has been on point on this drive, right? Working the clock. Milking the clock, making throws, and then making timely runs with power and strength to keep this drive going. Did not have much success running the football all game until right now when it matters the most.
Q4 2:11Noah Eagle:Barkley stays in there behind this stout offensive line with the extra tight end E.J. Jenkins, just elevated from the practice squad in there.
Q4 2:11Todd Blackledge:I don't think you see another pass for Philly.
Q4 2:11Noah Eagle:Barkley disappears after a gain of 1. Slayton drags him backward and Green Bay will take its second timeout.
Q4 2:10Noah Eagle:So 2:10 to play. To your point, it doesn't make much sense necessarily to throw the ball here.
Q4 2:09Todd Blackledge:No, don't stop the clock for them. Make them burn their timeouts. A field goal makes it so that Green Bay has to score a touchdown.
Q4 2:08Noah Eagle:Down.
Q4 2:08Todd Blackledge:The field goal won't get them back in the game.
Q4 2:07Noah Eagle:For two teams with so much expectations coming into the season, that was something that Philadelphia was accustomed to, especially last year following the Super Bowl run. They know what it means to play with expectations. But this is a Green Bay team that last year came into the season not really sure what you would expect out of them. They've earned those expectations. But even Matt LaFleur's mentioned that's different. Now you've got to go out and produce. And it would be interesting to see how they would respond. They responded well, but both these teams have proven just why they're so dangerous.
Q4 2:05Todd Blackledge:Well, and Philadelphia has been kind of on point and on script from last year. Last year they won 8 games that were one-possession games, games decided by 8 or fewer points. In position to do that again.
Q4 2:03Noah Eagle:Barkley stays in, 104 rushing yards in his debut. They will throw. Hurts, it's caught! DeVonta Smith!
Q4 2:02Todd Blackledge:Wow, that's awesome. I mean, that's confidence, Kellen Moore. That's, that's everybody's anticipating run, he calls the pass, and Hurts and DeVonta Smith deliver.
Q4 2:01Noah Eagle:Remaining in the fourth, the Eagles churning the clock down, looking to finish this one. 138 total yards. A.J. Brown, one of the best in the business, 119 yards, 67 on that one play to start the third quarter. Jalen Hurts has made some massive plays down the stretch on this drive in the fourth quarter to put his team in a great position to win this ballgame. With 2 minutes remaining, Green Bay with one timeout left. Barkley handoff inside the 5, and a quick timeout called by the Packers.
Q4 1:57Noah Eagle:The 1:57 to play. You start doing the math a little bit here. I'm not a math major. That's why I do words for a living. But I'm trying to get there. You figure it'll be, what, about 40 seconds, a little less, 35, somewhere in that range should everything go according to plan for Green Bay, that they're going to have to go the length of the field and score a touchdown.
Q4 1:46Todd Blackledge:Yeah, it's not an ideal situation for them, that's for sure. But again, for the Eagles on the other side, that they did exactly what they had to do on this drive. Even if they didn't come away with points, it was more important to eat clock and limit the opportunities for the Packers, and they have done a wonderful job of that. Kellen Moore making a couple clutch calls on this drive, and Jalen Hurts delivering as a thrower and a runner when it mattered the most.
Q4 1:32Noah Eagle:Eagles have had the ball on this possession for nearly 6 minutes of game time. It's Barkley up the middle. Barkley pushing his way To the 1.
Q4 1:24Todd Blackledge:Well, is it time for another tush push here?
Q4 1:21Noah Eagle:Or do you try to get Barkley his 4th touchdown of the day?
Q4 1:17Todd Blackledge:Whatever you do, you're going to let this play clock go as far down as you can. In fact, the Eagles might even let it go all the way down and use a timeout out here.
Q4 1:12Noah Eagle:And that's exactly what they'll do. So Suriano will take the timeout with 1:12 to play.
Q4 1:09Noah Eagle:And let's see what Kellen Moore elects to do. Saquon Barkley, the all-around game. I mean, this was the splash. 3 years, $37.75 million. He had options, he said, to go to a number of places, but he sat down with his friends and family and talked it all through. And once he did, he said this was the no-brainer, this was the easy choice.
Q4 1:04Todd Blackledge:Well, you know, arguably the best offensive line that he's run behind in his NFL career. And look, they've had good backs here, right? I mean, DeVonta Frank Smith for over 1,000 yards last year. Miles Sanders was a really good back. But I think Barkley is just a better version of both. He's more powerful, he's still got the burst, the breakaway, make-you-miss ability And they've been able to lean on him here in the fourth quarter in a big way.
Q4 0:58Noah Eagle:Howie Roseman always pushing the right buttons. It looks like tush push. It'll be on third and goal. Hurts— oh, he fumbled the snap and Barkley has the jump on it. And more exchange issues with a new center, Cam Jurgens.
Q4 0:55Todd Blackledge:Yeah, you can see Jalen shaking his head. I mean, it's, it's not a given, right? That looked like a decent snap, but, but Jalen just not able to get it, and luckily Saquon falls on it.
Q4 0:50Noah Eagle:So again, they're going all the way down. My math wasn't bad. I pat myself on the back there. And timeout with 30 seconds. So you've got two options. The option in all likelihood would be take the 3 points and force a touchdown to beat you, but you're close enough here that you could elect to go for it and put the nail in the coffin with a touchdown. And even if you don't get it, you force Green Bay 99 yards. Yes, but a field goal would win the game.
Q4 0:43Todd Blackledge:Yeah, I think you take the points and you make it— that Green Bay has to score a touchdown.
Q4 0:41Noah Eagle:Here comes Jake Elliott, 30 for 32 last season, made from 38 earlier tonight. This one's going to be a 21-yard chip shot. There's Rich Bisaccia standing with Matt LaFleur, special teams coordinator and head coach. Jalen Hurts, the frustration and a couple of miscues that left the door just cracked open enough for Jordan Love and company. Elliott knocked it through and another flag is down. And if this is against Green Bay, this completely changes things.
Q4 0:30Todd Blackledge:No, you don't take points off the board here. Kick it off. I think it's offsides on Green Bay.
Q4 0:27Noah Eagle:So they take the 3 points. 5-point game, 27 seconds left. Dynamic kickoff in full effect. You'd imagine they move it toward the back of the end zone. You can give that Jordan Love 70 yards to try to go and win the game. Coming up after the game, it's the Chevrolet postgame. Caleb will interview the stars of the game. Todd and I preview Sunday night's matchup with the Rams and the Lions. It's all coming up right after the game. So Jordan Love, we know he's got so many options at his disposal, but no timeouts. We've seen him operate in tight windows and in tight opportunities. You've got to get it all the way to the end zone here. You've got to imagine that the Eagles are going to sag back a little bit and play a little bit of a softer coverage. On top of all of that though, you have to choose who you're going to go after, and this is where maybe not having that number 1 receiver does make things a little bit more interesting for Green Bay because it's an unknown with Watson, with Reed, with Wicks, who hasn't caught one today, Doubs, a deep threat, the 2 tight ends, and even Jake Elliott. Coming out of the backfield.
Q4 0:27Todd Blackledge:I think all told, the Philadelphia defense has shown up today. I mean, even though they've given up 29 points, Vic Fangio has to be very pleased with his unit.
Q4 0:27Noah Eagle:They will take it out. Nixon using precious seconds and is down at the 15.
Q4 0:27Todd Blackledge:I don't, I don't get that.
Q4 0:27Noah Eagle:So 15 more yards to go. Instead of being at the 30, you start 85 yards away with 20.