Jerry Jones identified the Maracanã Stadium playing surface as a leading priority after the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Washington Commanders 37-20. Jones said Sunday evening that he was continuing to seek current information about the field.
Dallas, now 1-1, is scheduled to face the Baltimore Ravens at the Rio de Janeiro stadium on Sept. 27. The game will be the first NFL contest held there. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team’s football operations staff has been in contact with the league, and that officials expected the surface to satisfy the required standard.
He said he had no concern about the game taking place.
Agustin Rossi, goalkeeper for Flamengo Football Club, raised concerns about the field, saying the penalty areas contained many irregular sections and voicing hope that they would be fixed ahead of the NFL matchup. The league said it has preparations for maintaining a high-quality surface during international games.
CeeDee Lamb, who had 153 yards and two touchdowns against Washington, responded to a question about the field by saying, “Let's play.” A prior international game in São Paulo featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers finished with no reported issues.
