Stephen Jones, NFL Offer Latest Update on Field Concerns For Cowboys-Ravens Rio Game

Both Stephen Jones and the league have said there are currently no concerns about field conditions for Ravens-Cowboys in Week 2.

Dallas Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ahead of the Week 3 contest between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens that will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, there are concerns pertaining to the field at Maracaña Stadium.

Soccer players who have taken part in matches at the venue recently have experienced issues with the playing surface and we know that significantly raises the risk of injury.

For example, Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi said "there are bumps everywhere" on the field and "both penalty areas are bad as (expletive)," according to ge (H/T AtoZ Sports).

However, NFL Field Director Nick Pappas said there are no concerns about the field ahead of Sunday's contest between Dallas and Baltimore.

“I don’t have any suspicions that we won’t be playing football on Sunday," Pappas said, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.

“Yeah, at this time, no concerns with the field," Pappas added. "Obviously, they’ve just come out of a soccer match, so transitioning from soccer lines to football lines will be a priority. It doesn’t quite look like a football field yet.”

When asked about the situation, Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said if there was truly an issue with the field, the NFL would have had a contingency plan in place by now.

Because of the lack of that kind of plan, Jones believes it's "full speed ahead" and he isn't worried about the field not being up to snuff.

“I don’t have concerns only because the league has said full speed ahead," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.

"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."

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he is well aware of the complaints soccer players have had about the field and the Cowboys have been in contact with the league to stay updated on what's going on.

"We talked a little bit today with the operations people, Todd Williams, his team have been in direct contact with the league," Schottenheimer said.

"I'm aware of some of their quotes and stuff, but again, I trust that the league's going to make the right decision and they'll get the field up to standard," he added.

While there have been two games played in Brazil in the past, both were in a different venue, Corinthians Arena in São Paulo. The 2024 contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers saw issues with the playing surface.

Hopefully we won't see a repeat of that on Sunday at Maracanã Stadium or else that will give fans and players yet another reason to complain about international games.

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