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Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-22 · by Mauricio Savarese And Rob Maaddi The Associated Press
Nick Pappas, the NFL’s field director, expressed confidence that Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will be ready for Sunday's game between the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys despite recent heavy rainfall affecting the natural grass surface. The stadium has faced criticism from soccer players who have complained about poor playing conditions due to the excessive rain and heavy use of the field by local teams Flamengo and Fluminense. Pappas acknowledged the weather challenges but noted that American football requires different considerations for field maintenance, minimizing concerns specific to soccer.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-22,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Nick Pappas, the NFL's field director, expressed confidence in the condition of the turf at Maracanã Stadium for the upcoming game between the Dallas Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens on September 27. Despite concerns raised by the NFL Players Association about loose and patchy grass leading to safety issues, groundskeepers used scissors and a new GrassMaster Stitch Machine to improve traction and stability just days before the match. The league aims to ensure player safety while still hosting international games in Rio de Janeiro. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson acknowledged past experiences playing on poor fields but emphasized focusing on winning rather than worrying about turf conditions.
Written for “Ravens-Cowboys Game Rio” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
The field at Maracana Stadium has been hit by unusually heavy rainfall over the past six weeks, but the NFL’s field director expressed confidence it will be in good shape Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys play the league’s first game in Rio de Janeiro.
asserted
Ravens → hit → Janeiro
The NFL had a crew on site Monday to begin preparing the stadium for the game, one of a record nine international contests on the NFL schedule this season.
asserted
NFL → have → schedule
“They’ve faced some unprecedented weather over the last six weeks or so as far as rainfall goes,” Nick Pappas, the NFL’s field director, told The Associated Press from Rio.
asserted
Pappas → face → Rio
“We’ve got to have plans in place to ensure that you can mitigate the weather the best you can and, right now, we feel we’re in a good spot.”
asserted
we → get → spot
Pappas said the NFL had shipped a tarp to Rio about a week ago to help protect the turf.
asserted
NFL → say → turf
He said one of the “bigger lifts of the week” would be converting Maracana so it would be ready for American football.
asserted
it → say → football
The condition of the fields at international venues is often a subject of debate, and sometimes criticism, when the NFL goes abroad.
asserted
NFL → go → debate
Maracana has gotten particular attention in recent days after soccer players criticized the turf, saying they have struggled to control the ball due to its poor conditions.
asserted
they → get → conditions
The 78,000-seat stadium regularly hosts soccer teams Flamengo and Fluminense, averaging two games a week.
asserted
stadium → host → games
The heavy schedule combined with relentless downpours has strained the natural grass surface.
asserted
schedule → combine → surface
Flamengo midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta said after his match on Sunday, only hours before the NFL took over the stadium, that the Maracana pitch “keeps getting worse.”
asserted
pitch → say → stadium
“With the team we have, we can’t be playing on a field like this,” the Uruguayan player said.
asserted
player → have → this
Pappas said some of the recent concerns don’t apply since soccer and American football are so different.
asserted
soccer → say → concerns
“Our ball is not on the ground too much, so some of the things they’re looking for (are) maybe not the same things that we’re looking at,” he said.
asserted
he → look → that
The game will be the NFL’s third in Brazil, though the previous two were at Sao Paulo’s Neo Quimica Arena, where the turf was also criticized.
asserted
turf → criticize → Arena
Ravens coach Jesse Minter said the team has been in contact with the league about the stadium.
asserted
team → say → stadium
“They have people there (who) feel pretty good about it,” he said Monday.
asserted
he → have → it
“Both teams are going to be playing there, and we will be ready to roll.”
asserted
we → go → ?
The Ravens and Cowboys are scheduled to travel on Thursday and will practice in Rio on Friday.
asserted
Ravens → schedule → Friday
Maaddi reported from Tampa, Florida.
asserted
Maaddi → report → Tampa
AP Sports Writer Noah Trister contributed from Baltimore.
asserted
Trister → contribute → Baltimore
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