Saquon Barkley tries for another dominant effort in Eagles' home opener against Atlanta

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Saquon Barkley stole the show in his Philadelphia Eagles debut.

He gave the offense the credible, every-down back the franchise craved. He may have given his old team, the Giants, a few sleepless nights. Barkley’s three-touchdown effort sealed a few fantasy football victories, too.

So will Barkley repeat the feat Monday night against Atlanta?

If the total offensive numbers come again — 109 yards rushing, and he scored on an 18-yard catch and on runs of 11 and 2 yards — Barkley might have to rack them up on fewer plays.

The $26 million running back shouldn’t necessarily expect 26 total touches (24 carries, two receptions) like he had in his stellar opener in the Eagles’ win over the Green Bay Packers in Brazil.

Coach Nick Sirianni wants to keep Barkley fresh for the stretch run, which could mean less impact now in exchange for a heavier load in December and beyond.

Unless, of course, the Eagles really need him to pull out a win.

“You do everything you can do to win each football game, and so once the game is in the flow, you think about how you’re going to win that game,” Sirianni said.

Philly sports fans surely remember the dreaded “load management” phrase popularized by the 76ers’ attempt at cushioning oft-injured center Joel Embiid’s workload. The Eagles might not necessarily go that far — their backup options are Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley — during a game, but Sirianni said there are ways during the week the Eagles can limit how they use Barkley.

“With Saquon having that many touches, we’ll have a plan for that this week in practice where we can take some of the load off him there,” Sirianni said.

After six straight losing seasons, the Falcons were beaten 18-10 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in their opener. One small bright spot, the defense kept the Steelers out of the end zone, usually a formula for victory.

Trying to do it again against Jalen Hurts and his group of elite receivers is tough enough. Trying to keep Hurts and Barkley out of the end zone just might be an impossible task.

The Eagles are eager to see what Barkley does in the second game.

“He’s done an excellent job, and we’ll be able to diversify it as we go,” Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. “Week in and week out, we can adjust the game plans and we’ll play different styles depending on how the opponent wants to play us. He’ll provide us with that opportunity.”

Playing in a game for the first time in more than 10 months, Kirk Cousins struggled mightily in his Atlanta debut.

Hardly what the Falcons expected from a quarterback who received a four-year, $180-million contract in free agency that includes $100 million in guaranteed money.

Coach Raheem Morris made it clear that the offense was the biggest problem against the Steelers. Cousins looked shaky in the pocket, threw two interceptions and finished with just 155 yards passing on 16 of 26 completions.

Most notably, he failed to take advantage of two of his biggest playmakers. Tight end Kyle Pitts did catch a 12-yard touchdown pass but finished with just three receptions for 26 yards. Even worse, top outside threat Drake London was targeted only three times, making two catches for 15 yards.

“We played what I thought was winning football in two phases of the game, and we didn’t play winning football in our offensive phase of the game. That’s just the truth of the matter,” Morris said. “It wasn’t good enough. We threw two interceptions. We’ve got to make better decisions in the passing game all around.”

Brandon Graham still has a lot left in the tank.

Graham's first snap in the opener made him the first Eagle to ever start a 15th season. He was tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik (14, 1949-62). Graham also has the record for the most regular-season games played (196) in franchise history.

The 36-year-old defensive end played 32 snaps against the Packers — one more than second-year edge rusher Nolan Smith and two more than defensive end Bryce Huff. Huff signed a three-year, $51 million free-agent deal in the offseason.

Graham could expect a similar workload against the Falcons.

“Brandon is still a good player, and I’ve told him several times, he’s not on any ceremonial last-year retirement parade," defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “He’s going to play. He’s still playing good.”

One Atlanta player who didn’t look rusty at all in Week 1 was Grady Jarrett.

Coming back from a season-ending knee injury, the longtime stalwart of Atlanta’s defensive front picked right up where he left off.

Jarrett had 1 1/2 sacks and three quarterback hits, becoming the franchise leader in the latter category with 117 for his career to surpass John Abraham’s 115.

“I know I’m back,” Jarrett said. “I put a lot of work in, zero doubt in my mind. I’m ready to go. I’m just excited to have a great year and contribute to this team the best I can.”

The tush push is still alive in Philly.

Alive and well? Not so much, at least not after an opening victory where the tush push was unsuccessful on at least two attempts and there was some miscommunication between Hurts and center Cam Jurgens on other plays.

The play goes like this: Hurts lines up under center with two or three players behind him. He takes the snap, the offensive line surges forward and Hurts gets a big push from behind.

The Eagles converted the play about 93% of the time each of the past two seasons. Jason Kelce, the burly center who anchored the play, retired. Jurgens took over at center and the play — the offensive line as a whole — underwent early growing pains.

“I was pleased with the way we were getting some push on some of them,” Sirianni said. “We have some things to clean up.”

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Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris congratulates Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97) after a sack during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) loses the ball as he is hit by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) sacks Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) is stopped by Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Kentavius Street (75) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFL football game, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Doug Benc)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates after scoring against the Green Bay Packers during the first half of an NFL football game, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second half of an NFL football game, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) reacts during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, at the Neo Quimica Arena in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service on Tuesday were investigating the origin of suspicious packages that have been sent to or received by elections officials in more than a dozen states, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or that any of the packages contained hazardous material.

The latest packages were sent to elections officials in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Rhode Island. Mississippi authorities reported a package was delivered there on Monday, and the Connecticut Secretary of State's office on Tuesday also said the FBI alerted them of a suspicious package that was intercepted.

The FBI is collecting the letters, some of which contained “an unknown substance,” spokesperson Kristen Setera of the agency's Boston office said in a statement.

“We are also working with our partners to determine how many letters were sent, the individual or individuals responsible for the letters, and the motive behind the letters,” she said. “As this is an ongoing matter we will not be commenting further on the investigation, but the public can be assured safety is our top priority.”

It’s the second time in the past year that suspicious packages were mailed to election officials in multiple state offices.

The latest scare comes as early voting has begun in several states less than two months ahead of the high-stakes elections for president, Senate, Congress and key statehouse offices around the nation, causing disruption in what is already a tense voting season. Local election directors are beefing up their security to keep their workers and polling places safe while also ensuring that ballots and voting procedures won’t be tampered with.

The National Association of Secretaries of State condemned what it described as a “disturbing trend” of threats to election workers leading up to Nov. 5, as well as the second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

“This must stop, period,” the group said. "Our democ­racy has no place for political violence, threats or intimidation of any kind.”

On Tuesday, the FBI notified the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office that postal service investigators had identified what they described as a suspicious envelope that had been delivered to a building housing state offices. The package was intercepted and isolated, according to state officials. No employees from the secretary of the commonwealth’s office had contact with the envelope, which is now in the hands of the FBI.

Packages also were sent to secretaries of state and state election offices in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wyoming this week. The packages forced evacuations in Iowa, Oklahoma and Wyoming. Hazmat crews in several states quickly determined the material was harmless.

The Mississippi Secretary of State’s Elections Division said it received a package similar to those sent to other states. It said its office had been on “high alert” for a potential package and that the state Department of Homeland Security was testing the one received. The division said it has notified county election officials to be on the lookout.

Oklahoma officials said the material sent to the election office there contained flour. Wyoming officials have not yet said if the material sent there was hazardous.

“We have specific protocols in place for situations such as this,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said in a statement after the evacuation of the six-story Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines. “We immediately reported the incident per our protocols.”

A state office building in Topeka, Kansas, was evacuated due to suspicious mail sent to both the secretary of state and attorney general, Kansas Highway Patrol spokesperson April M. McCollum said in a statement.

Topeka Fire Department crews found several pieces of mail with an unknown substance on them, though a field test found no hazardous materials, spokesperson Rosie Nichols said. Several employees in both offices had been exposed to it and had their health monitored, she said.

In Oklahoma, the State Election Board received a suspicious envelope in the mail containing a multi-page document and a white, powdery substance, agency spokesperson Misha Mohr said in an email to The Associated Press. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, which oversees security for the Capitol, secured the envelope. Testing determined the substance was flour, Mohr said.

State workers in an office building next to the Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne were sent home for the day pending testing of a white substance mailed to the secretary of state’s office.

Suspicious letters were sent to election offices and government buildings in at least six states last November, including the same building in Kansas that received suspicious mail Monday. While some of the letters contained fentanyl, even the suspicious mail that was not toxic delayed the counting of ballots in some local elections.

One of the targeted offices was in Fulton County, Georgia, the largest voting jurisdiction in one of the nation’s most important swing states. Four county election offices in Washington state had to be evacuated as election workers were processing ballots cast, delaying vote-counting.

The letters caused election workers around the country to stock up the overdose reversal medication naloxone.

Election offices across the United States have taken steps to increase the security of their buildings and boost protections for workers amid an onslaught of harassment and threats following the 2020 election and the false claims that it was rigged.

LeBlanc reported from Boston. Christina Almeida Cassidy in Atlanta; Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York; Susan Haigh in Norwich, Connecticut; Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri; Isabella Volmert in Lansing, Michigan; Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee; Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed to this report.

The Oklahoma State Election Board Office inside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, was one of at least five states in the U.S. which election officials received suspicious packages on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)

FILE - William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower stands June 22, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)

The Oklahoma State Election Board Office inside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, was one of at least five states in the U.S. which election officials received suspicious packages on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)

The Oklahoma State Election Board Office inside the state Capitol in Oklahoma City, was one of at least five states in the U.S. which election officials received suspicious packages on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)

A hazmat crew from the National Guard's Civilian Support Team investigates after a suspicious package was delivered to election officials at the Missouri Secretary of State's Jefferson City, Mo., office on Tuesday Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Summer Ballentine)