The NFLPA has made a ruling on concerns about the field condition as the Baltimore Ravens face the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil.
The Baltimore Ravens are set to face off against the Dallas Cowboys in Brazil, but there have been some big concerns about the condition of the field at Maracanã Stadium, where the teams are set to play.
Some of the concerns were the divots on the field or having too slick a surface. To remedy this situation, the field was reportedly restitched in a way to ensure player safety. Now, the NFLPA has made a statement regarding the condition of the playing surface.
Per Cowboys beat writer Todd Archer, NFL field director Nick Pappas stated that the field passed all mandatory field requirements on Friday.
"The nature of the issues with soccer led to complaints from the bumpiness that are not as much of an issue with football. Pappas said the focus is on athlete performance and the field should be good. If it rains then there is a tarp to cover the field," Archer said.
Player safety is of the utmost importance to the league, and they would not allow two teams to step onto, let alone play on a field that would lead to injuries.
During media availability on Friday, Ravens head coach Jesse Minter also stated that no team has an advantage over the other in terms of sharing the field, and he also indicated that the equipment staff will ensure players have all the right equipment and footwear to play in a safe manner.
"I mean, both teams will be playing on the same surface. It's not a I I wouldn't say it's an advantage for one team or the other. Um, I would say the main thing is for our guys to get out there to feel comfortable with it to make sure they had the right type of footwear on. We've obviously spent a lot of time thinking about that, not necessarily talking about it, but just our equipment staff doing an unbelievable job, having a plan in place," Minter said.
Time will tell if the field causes any sort of issues when the game is set to start, but plenty of coaches from both teams have also been seen checking out the field before game time.
If there are any condition concerns for either side, the league may have to step in and make a judgment call on the game being played at the stadium. That would also cause some logistical issues, as both teams would need to be given a new stadium to play at.
Baltimore is looking for a bounce-back win, as they dropped the ball against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. After leading through most of the game, they allowed 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to the Saints.
The Cowboys are a tough team and losing a lead may be hard to deal with for the Ravens. The field aside, the team needs to gel together to take home the win.
The good news for the Ravens is they will presumably have wide receiver Zay Flowers and defensive tackle Nnmadi Madubuike back on the field in Week 3, giving them a boost on both sides of the ball.
