NFL in Rio: How field conditions look before Ravens-Cowboys Week 3 matchup in Brazil

LOOK I KNOW I SAY THIS A LOT BUT J.J. WATT IS LITERALLY TAKING CLOSE-UP PHOTOS OF ARTIFICIAL TURF PLUGS AT THE TEN-YARD LINE IN RIO DE JANEIRO AND THAT IS HOW YOU KNOW THINGS ARE SHAKY, BECAUSE THE RAVENS AND COWBOYS ARE PLAYING AT MARACANÃ STADIUM AND THE FIELD IS WORN OUT FROM SOCCER TEAMS PLAYING WEEKLY! SO NOW NFL FIELD DIRECTOR NICK PAPPAS SAYS DO NOT WORRY AND CLAIMS AN INSPECTOR CLEARED IT, WHICH IS WILD BECAUSE THE LEAGUE HAD TO SHIP IN SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO STITCH SYNTHETIC FIBERS INTO THE GRASS FOR TRACTION, AND THE PLAYERS UNION CHIEF JC TRETTER SAYS TWO OUT OF THREE BRAZIL GAMES HAD FIELD ISSUES, AND EVEN A LOCAL SOCCER PLAYER SAID IT KEEPS GETTING WORSE! ANYWAY SOMEBODY HAS TO ANSWER FOR THAT.

OK NOBODY WARNED ME ABOUT THIS ONE: THE NFL LITERALLY SHIPPED IN EQUIPMENT TO STITCH SYNTHETIC FIBERS INTO THE GRASS IN RIO JUST SO THE PLAYING SURFACE WOULD HOLD TOGETHER! AND THE THING IS, MARACANÃ STADIUM GETS BEAT UP BY TWO LOCAL SOCCER CLUBS PLAYING THERE EVERY WEEK, TO THE POINT WHERE A FLAMENGO MIDFIELDER PUBLICLY SAID THE PITCH KEEPS GETTING WORSE, AND NOW THE RAVENS AND COWBOYS ARE PLAYING WEEK THREE ON IT! SO NFL FIELD DIRECTOR NICK PAPPAS SAYS THERE IS NO NEED TO WORRY BECAUSE AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTOR WALKED THE FIELD AND IT CHECKED OUT, WHICH IS WILD BECAUSE PLAYERS UNION BOSS JC TRETTER WENT ONLINE ARGUING TWO OF THREE BRAZIL GAMES HAD FIELD ISSUES AND WE NEED UNIVERSAL STANDARDS! ANYWAY THAT IS ENOUGH NEWS FOR ONE NIGHT.

Ahead of the Ravens-Cowboys game in Rio de Janeiro, the NFL reinforced Maracanã Stadium's worn playing surface with stitched synthetic fibers amid concerns over field traction and player safety.

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