SÃO PAULO — Field conditions were a major topic of conversation after the Philadelphia Eagles' 34-29 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Friday night.
Several players lost their balance during the match and later attributed it to the slippery surface of the Arena Corinthians, which is normally a football stadium. For the Eagles, this stirred up some not-so-good recent memories.
“It reminded me a little bit of the Super Bowl turf,” tight end Dallas Goedert said, referencing the surface in Arizona when the Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
“I mean, you all saw it was a little bit difficult to get traction,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said. “It was definitely a challenge 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, too. I'm happy we found a way to figure it out as a team and get through it.”
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was one of the first to lose his balance, resulting in a 5-yard loss on his first carry in an Eagles uniform. After the drive, he went to the sideline and told his teammates they needed to switch to longer, seven-studded cleats.
The change worked out pretty well for Barkley, who rushed for over 100 yards and finished with three total touchdowns.
“It's one of those fields where the upper comes off pretty easily,” tackle Lane Johnson said. “That's what cleats are made for. That's why we wear them. They're not comfortable, but they're practical.”
Having learned from the past, some players made the decision before the match.
“I ran a route at full speed when we did the tour [Thursday]”I slipped and said, 'I'm not going to make the same mistake twice, I'm going to put seven studs,'” Goedert said.
The Packers were also feeling the effects. Coach Matt LaFleur told a reporter during the game that “it's been an issue, no doubt.”
“There were some instances where I was slipping,” Packers safety Xavier McKinney said. “It was a little bit slippery. Obviously, it was different than what I'm used to. It's just a different circumstance. Obviously, every field is going to be different. We have to be able to, no matter the circumstances, continue to do our job and do it at a high level.”
Not everyone was so diplomatic. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James took to social media and wrote: “Man, this field stinks!”
It wasn't for lack of effort. Eagles groundskeeper Tony Leonard worked with NFL field director Nick Pappas “for months” before the game, Philadelphia assistant general manager Jon Ferrari said last week, to get the conditions perfect for an NFL game.
“It's a football field, but it's been remodeled,” Ferrari said, “so it's in very good condition.”
