Dallas Cowboys’ Stephen Jones provides important update on Rio game vs. Ravens following field condition concerns
Do not worry about a potential relocation of the Dallas Cowboys’ matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Back in 2018, the NFL relocated a Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams matchup set to be played in Mexico City due to poor field conditions at then-named Estadio Azteca. The Dallas Cowboys are confident they’ll avoid a similar fate ahead of Week 3.
The Cowboys are set to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Last week, concerns emerged surrounding the field conditions at Maracanã Stadium as multiple soccer players complained ahead of the NFL’s first-ever game in Rio.
“It’s unbelievable that we’re playing on a field like this,” said goalkeeper Agustín Rossi. “Both penalty areas are bad as (expletiuve). If you look at it, there are bumps everywhere.”
The concerns, which were first noted by the US market in an earlier story here at A to Z Sports, quickly evolved to relocation questions by many outlets. As we outlined in a previous article, that was always highly unlikely as the 2018 situation in Mexico was way worse.
The Cowboys and the NFL are expressing a lot of confidence on the game taking place in Rio as intended. As The Athletic’s Jon Machota pointed out, playing surfaces have been a concern for NFL and international stadiums alike. With that has come experience.
Stephen Jones not worried about Rio
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Monday, Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones expressed full confidence on the game staying in Brazil.
“I don’t have concerns only because the league has said full speed ahead,” Jones said on live radio. “I think if there was a real concern, there would have already been contingent plans being made. I know how the league works about where we play the game if it weren’t there, and there’s none of that. So, I think we’re full speed ahead.”
The league believes it can get the field right in under a week, having took control of field operations after a soccer game which took place on Sunday.
NFL field director Nick Pappas said the league isn’t concerned about the field conditions, via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
“What we’ve seen in Rio is a significant amount of rainfall, a record kind of rainfall over the last six weeks,” said Pappas. “And that obviously poses challenges just from a management perspective, but nothing that we’re not capable of managing or prepared to take.”
Short week preparation in Dallas?
Meanwhile, the Cowboys plan to treat this as a short week, according to head coach Brian Schottenheimer.
The team will travel Thursday night to play the game on Sunday. Time zones aren’t really a major concern, as it’s only a two-hour difference between Rio and central time. However, the team plans to get acclimated to the area before taking on the Ravens.
