There was a memorable scene in “Hard Knocks: Offseason” where Giants co-owner John Mara tells general manager Joe Schoen that he doesn’t want Saquon Barkley to leave in free agency. Certainly not to the Philadelphia Eagles. It was mentioned about a million times on social media Friday night.

“I’m going to have a hard time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I can tell you that,” Mara said.

Mara won’t be able to sleep for a few days after Friday night’s game. And Philadelphia Eagles fans might not either. The same goes for Green Bay Packers fans, but for a very different reason.

Barkley was a game-changer for the Eagles offense in a 34-29 shootout victory over the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil. He became the second player in Eagles history to score three touchdowns in his debut, joining Terrell Owens in 2004. The game took an unexpected turn with six seconds left in the game when Packers quarterback Jordan Love got his foot underneath him as he was taken down. He was on the field in pain and was helped off the field while backup Malik Willis came on to finish the game at quarterback. The Packers are hoping Love’s injury doesn’t cost him a game.

Barkley used all of his skills to beat the Packers. He made a great reception on a deep pass, exploded through a hole for his first touchdown run, and simply bulled his way into the end zone for his third score.

The Eagles didn’t have everything figured out in their first game of the season. But they already know they’ve added a star to the offense who can carry them while they figure things out. The Eagles should be excited about what their offense could look like with Barkley making plays as a running back.

Eagles and Packers hit big plays

The game was goal-heavy, but it wasn’t always pretty. Both teams struggled with the grass in the first half, with players on both sides slipping. That seemed to improve somewhat in the second half as teams adjusted their studs. Other parts of the game seemed disjointed, whether it was the fact that we were in Brazil, the unusual Friday night kickoff, or the fact that neither team had fielded nearly all of their pre-season starters. It didn’t help that every other play seemed to involve a penalty.

But there was plenty of excitement. Barkley had a hat trick of touchdowns. Packers receiver Jayden Reed had two touchdowns, a 33-yard run and a 70-yard catch. AJ Brown added a 67-yard touchdown catch for the Eagles early in the second half.

There were also big plays and big mistakes. Hurts threw a bad interception on the game’s first possession and then an unforgivable one in the end zone in the fourth quarter when he threw over his body. It wasn’t always pretty for Jordan Love, either. He threw an interception that led to Barkley’s third touchdown and also missed a lot of passes. Love completed just 50 percent of his attempts. He appeared to cramp in the second half, when the coaching staff worked on his calves while he was on the sideline.

In the fourth quarter, the Packers had a choice on fourth-and-5 from the Eagles’ 8-yard line with just under eight minutes left. They were down 31-26. They opted to kick a field goal, cutting Philly’s lead to two points, rather than going for it, hoping they could get the ball back with just a field goal to win.

But the Eagles, who had been moving the ball in big chunks for most of the game, found themselves deep in Packers territory, eating up the clock. The Packers appeared to have a third-down stop, but Packers defensive lineman Kenny Clark was penalized for holding, the second questionable defensive holding call on that drive. DeVonta Smith had a big first down just before the two-minute warning on a Packers coverage error, and then another big first-down catch on the two-minute warning. The Eagles couldn’t convert, dropping a snap as they were about to attempt a tush push, but kicked a field goal with 27 seconds left. Love was out with the injury, and on Willis’s final pass attempt, he was tackled by linebacker Zack Baun, who was having a great game, and time expired.

Every team had issues. It could take a few weeks, and certainly a return home, to get more comfortable. But on Friday night, the difference was the Eagles’ new running back.

Saquon Barkley makes a big impression

The Giants got a great rookie season out of Barkley and he never matched that production, although he was good. The question was whether Barkley was hampered by injuries, or whether the Giants’ situation with Barkley was so bad that he was held out.

Friday night it seemed like we got the answer.

The Eagles signed Barkley to a three-year, $37.75 million contract in the offseason, which was unusual for them. They generally haven’t invested much in the running back position. They apparently thought Barkley was a special talent.

He showed that right away with a leaping touchdown in the endzone off Jalen Hurts. Not all backs have that type of receiving ability. Barkley rushed for 109 yards, had a great play in the passing game and gave the Eagles offense a jolt it could have used late last season.

The Eagles managed to pull out a win with an effective final drive, while the Packers desperately tried to make a stop and get one more possession with a chance to win. Barkley also played a big part in that decisive drive. It wasn’t always the prettiest win for the Eagles, especially on defense. But it will be a much better flight back to the States with a 1-0 record.