SAO PAULO – Saquon Barkley has been practicing the art of positive thinking since changing teams for the first time in his career.

But he probably couldn’t have imagined that he would one day make such a spectacular debut for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Barkley scored three touchdowns in the first NFL game in South America on Friday night, leading the Eagles to a 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers, who lost quarterback Jordan Love to an injury in the final seconds.

“I always try to envision success and think positively,” said Barkley, who became the first player since Terrell Owens in 2004 to score three touchdowns in his Eagles debut. “That’s one of my goals for this year: to think more positively.”

Now the Packers must try to keep negative thoughts out of their minds while worrying about the future of Love, who signed a four-year, $220 million contract extension over the summer. Love limped off the field with assistance after being injured with 6 seconds left.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur did not provide an update on Love’s condition after the game.

Backup Malik Willis was sacked by Zack Baun on the final play, preventing him from throwing a Hail Mary from Philadelphia’s 47-yard line.

“We have to learn from this,” LaFleur said. “I watched the video and I don’t want to take anything away from Philly – they fought and played their game – but I think there were a lot of opportunities that we missed.”

Barkley rushed for 109 yards and scored a touchdown with an 18-yard catch and runs of 11 and 2 yards. He spent six seasons with the New York Giants before Philadelphia signed him to a three-year, $37.75 million contract with $26 million guaranteed.

Jalen Hurts completed 20 of 34 passes for 278 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Eagles. AJ Brown caught five passes for 119 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, in a festive setting that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni compared to a playoff atmosphere.

“Man, did Brazil play a great game tonight or what?” Sirianni said. “I know we made some people into big soccer fans tonight.”

Green Bay’s Jayden Reed scored a touchdown with a 33-yard jet sweep and a 70-yard reception, the longest touchdown of Love’s career. Reed caught Love’s pass at Philadelphia’s 40-yard line and made a move at the 30-yard line that brought down safety CJ Gardner-Johnson.

Reed became the first player since Hall of Famer Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns against Washington in 1963 to have a 30-plus yard touchdown catch and a 30-plus yard touchdown run in a season-opening game.

Reed’s apparent 38-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive was also nullified as both teams had 12 men on the field. He finished the game with four catches for 138 yards.

Love completed 17 of 34 passes for 260 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Barkley’s third touchdown gave the Eagles a 31-26 lead with 4:26 left in the third quarter. Reed Blankenship set up that point with an interception that gave Philadelphia the ball at Green Bay’s 25-yard line.

The Eagles still led 31-26 when Jaire Alexander intercepted a Hurts pass in the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Green Bay drove into the red zone but settled for a 26-yard field goal by rookie Brayden Narveson, who made 3 of 4 attempts.

Philadelphia then had possession until Jake Elliott kicked a 21-yard field goal with 27 seconds left.

Some Eagles players had expressed concerns earlier in the week about traveling to Brazil, costing them the opportunity to play their season opener in front of a friendly crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. The crowd at NeoQuimica Arena was instead evenly balanced between Packers fans, Eagles fans and spectators who simply cheered every positive development.

The Eagles didn’t complain afterward.

“I don’t know if Sao Paulo knows when to cheer, but it’s been great,” Brown said. “It’s been loud the whole time. They have a pretty bad reputation. We’ve heard a whole bunch of ‘don’ts,’ but since we’ve been here, it’s been great.”

Players from both teams slipped on the field during the first half, causing many to change their shoes. Five days earlier, a Brazilian football league match had taken place at the stadium.

The NeoQuimica Arena pitch is often praised by football players as the best in Brazil, but it has never hosted an American football game. The hybrid pitch consists of both grass and synthetic fiber.

The slippery surface may have contributed to a sloppy start.

Philadelphia caused turnovers on its first two series, allowing Green Bay to launch two consecutive drives in the red zone, but the Packers had to settle for field goals both times.

“The red zone was a big problem tonight,” LaFleur said. “I would say a year ago we were pretty darn good there. And tonight we got destroyed there.”

In the second and third quarters, the offense took the lead, scoring touchdowns on six of seven possessions.

INJURIES

Eagles LB Devin White (ankle) did not play. The Packers were without RBs AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd. Dillon went on the injured list last week with a neck problem and Lloyd was out with a hamstring injury.

Next

Packers: Host Indianapolis on Sunday, September 15.

Eagles: Host Atlanta on Monday, September 16.

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Megargee reported from Wisconsin.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl