Eagles-Packers field conditions in Brazil: Players were not happy about the playing surface in Sao Paulo

Saquon Barkley’s first carry as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles didn’t exactly go as planned. Upon receiving the pitch from Jalen Hurts, Barkley took barely two steps before he slipped on the playing surface inside Arena Corinthians in Brazil. 

Barkley ultimately found his footing (he scored three touchdowns in his Eagles debut), but the playing surface was a constant issue throughout Philadelphia’s 34-29 win. Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert compared the playing surface to the one he and his teammates played on in their 2022 Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. 

“I mean, y’all saw out there that it was kind of rough to get traction,” Hurts said afterwards, via ESPN. “Definitely challenging on that field. It’s not the type of field we’re used to playing on. We’ve had that type of field before. They had to play on it as well. I’m just happy that we found a way to figure it out as a team, overcome it.”

Barkley’s early slip may have ended up paying major dividends for the Eagles. As he was coming off the field following the Eagles’ first drive, Barkley informed his teammates that they needed to switch the longer cleats. 

“It’s one of those fields where the top just came off pretty easy,” Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “That’s what they make studs for. That’s why we pack ’em. They’re not comfortable, but they are handy.”

They didn’t blame the playing surface for the loss, but it was clear the Packers were less than thrilled with the situation. 

“I mean, there were some cases where I was slipping,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “It was a little slippery. Different than obviously what I’m kind of used to. It’s just another circumstance. Obviously, every field is going to be different. We got to be able to, no matter the circumstance, still do our jobs and do it at a high level.”

The playing surface’s less-than-ideal condition likely surprised…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/eagles-packers-field-conditions-in-brazil-players-were-not-happy-about-the-playing-surface-in-sao-paulo/

Author : Bryan DeArdo

Publish date : 2024-09-07 15:08:56

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