As the NFL continues its quest to become a truly global game, their first step in 2024 was to play their first regular season contest in South America. On Friday night, dubbed “First Friday” by the league, the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers gave 50,000-plus fans in Sao Paolo, Brazil a game to remember, and not just because the field was an unmitigated disaster.

It'll also be a game that Eagles running back Saquon Barkley remembers for a long time.

After spending the first six years of his career with the New York Giants, Saquon Barkley didn't waste much time before turning in a vintage Saquon performance with his former NFC East rival. The Eagles running back had 26 touches in the game for a total of 132 yards and three touchdowns, which was enough for Philadelphia to leave Brazil with a 34-29 win.

About 12 hours after securing the win, and in the process, becoming the first Eagles player to score three touchdowns in their debut with the team since Terrell Owens, Saquon Barkley took to X to reflect on the history-making victory.

After turning the ball over on their first two possessions, the Eagles offense finally got going and punched one into the end zone on their third drive of the game. It was an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Saquon Barkley that got the Eagles on the board.

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Saquon Barkley sparks Eagles win in Brazil

Saquon Barkley's night was just getting started with that gem of a wheel route touchdown. On the Eagles' next drive, it was Saquon who found the end zone yet again, this time on an 11-yard touchdown run. He scored his third touchdown of the game late in the 3rd quarter on a 2-yard run that gave Philadelphia a 31-26 lead.

If this is the version of Saquon Barkley that the Eagles are going to get all season long, early returns suggest that this offense that sputtered so badly late in the year last season is going to be just fine in 2024. After going the final seven games of the season averaging just 18.8 points and 284.7 yards of total offense per game, the Eagles bounced back with 34 points and 410 yards of total offense against the Packers.

Philadelphia now has nine days of rest before they host the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 2.