Cowboys-Ravens Brazil Drama Explained!

The Dallas Cowboys are still expected to play the Baltimore Ravens in Brazil in Week 3, but concerns surrounding the field at Maracanã Stadium have created plenty of questions heading into Sunday's game. Mauricio Rodriguez has the latest on the field conditions in Rio de Janeiro, where heavy rainfall and recent complaints from soccer players have raised concerns about the playing surface. The story started after Brazilian soccer players publicly complained about the condition of the Maracanã field. Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi described the field as difficult to play on, while another Brazilian player said the surface has continued to get worse and made it increasingly difficult to control the ball. Those comments led to questions about whether the NFL could potentially relocate Cowboys-Ravens. There is an important distinction, however. The 2018 NFL game between the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs that was scheduled for Mexico City was ultimately moved to Los Angeles because of severe field-condition concerns. That precedent understandably caused some fans to wonder whether the same thing could happen in Brazil. But the situation in Rio appears to be different. The NFL has a full week to work on the Maracanã playing surface, and the league has dealt with field-condition concerns during previous games in Brazil. An NFL field-condition director told ESPN that Rio had experienced a significant amount of rainfall over the previous six weeks, creating challenges for field management. However, the league believes the situation is manageable and said there were no plans or conversations about relocating the game. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones also said he had no concerns because the league has indicated it is moving forward with the game. So, as of now, Cowboys-Ravens is expected to take place in Rio de Janeiro. But the field isn't the only challenge Dallas is facing. The Cowboys are dealing with a growing list of defensive injuries heading into what Brian Schottenheimer is treating as a short week. DeMarvion Overshown is expected to miss the game as he continues to recover from his injury. Coby Durant and P.J. Locke are also dealing with injuries, while Malik Hooker could potentially miss multiple weeks. That makes an already unusual international trip even more difficult for Dallas. Mauricio Rodriguez explains where things currently stand with the Maracanã field, why the possibility of relocation became a talking point, what the NFL is saying and how the Cowboys' growing injury list could impact their Week 3 matchup with the Ravens. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Dallas for daily Cowboys news, analysis, breaking updates and reaction throughout the 2026 NFL season. 0:00 Is Cowboys-Ravens being moved? 0:32 Where the field concerns came from 1:02 What Brazilian soccer players said 1:59 Why the field is in bad shape 2:19 Why relocation became a possibility 2:54 The 2018 Mexico City precedent 4:21 Why Brazil is different 5:06 What the NFL is saying 5:35 The NFL's official position 6:03 What Stephen Jones said 6:47 How the relocation story grew 7:16 Cowboys dealing with a short week 7:46 More Cowboys defensive injuries 8:12 What to expect Sunday #DallasCowboys #Cowboys #Ravens #NFL #Brazil #Maracana Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games ✭ For more Cowboys coverage be sure to follow here: https://atozsports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys-news/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtoZDallas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsdallas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtoZSportsDallas TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsdallas