NFL to Host First Game in Rio de Janeiro as Cowboys Face Ravens Amid Field Condition Concerns

History will be made on Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens face off in the league's first ever game in Rio de Janeiro and as much excitement as there is surrounding the game, there are also some concerns swirling. The field conditions are a major subject ahead of the contest, with several soccer players who call Maracaña Stadium home complaining and criticizing the conditions.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has quite a bit at stake in the quality of the field, commented on the conditions on Wednesday.

"I believe the NFL does a great job at having their specialists go out there and look over the fields," Jackson said to the media. "I cannot worry about that. I just have to worry about getting us a dub in Brazil. [As for] the field, we have played on bad fields plenty of times, so I cannot really dwell on that."

This week, the stadium released pictures and have said the conditions would improve. Some reasons they state for the field issues are due to the high number of games, more matches with precipitation close to the game and high temperatures.

The NFL is reportedly "aware" of the possible challenges with the field. It appears groundskeepers are working to improve the conditions.

The NFL took is now in charge of the field prep, taking over the stadium management this week.

This marks the NFL's third game in Brazil, with the others played in São Paulo, a field that was also criticized. The Ravens and Cowboys have never played in Brazil. The Cowboys have played in one previous international game, coming in 2014 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Ravens have played in two international games before this, both in London, with the most recent one against the Tennessee Titans in 2023 and the first one against the Jaguars in 2017.

Other players and coaches participating in Sunday's game also commented on the situation and the overall feeling is that the NFL will ensure the conditions are safe to play on.

"There is a lot of just, 'he said, she said,' kind of thing going on right now, so we will see," Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. "I know the players are the product in this league. As soon as we lose 'putting the players forward' is when we lose the league. I am sure the league knows that and they are doing their best to put us in the position to be safe. So, that is not really in the forefront of my mind right now."

Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey joked that the team will play on whatever surface they're given.

"If we got to play on some concrete, we will play on some concrete," Humphrey said. "I'm hoping those reports aren't true."

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is looking for Dallas' second ever win against the Ravens, with Baltimore holding a 6-1 all-time series record. In preparation for the game, they're not just studying up on their opponent, but learning about different cleats.

Schottenheimer said his players were informed on what cleats to wear, citing ones with better traction as a good choice for this field.

"The biggest thing for us is we expect the field to be fine and we have backup plans in place, but right now we've educated these guys," Schottenheimer said. "At the end of the day, these guys have to wear things that make them feel comfortable, and if they're slipping, then that's going to be on them."

The game will be broadcasted on CBS, streaming on Paramount+ with kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sept. 27.