Jason Whitlock isn’t buying the idea that the Cowboys-Ravens game in Brazil will go off without a hitch.
With Sunday’s matchup at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium drawing attention for the state of the field, Whitlock made a blunt prediction on Saturday after watching a 105.3 The Fan video that showed gray patches where grass should have been.
"This game is gonna get called off. Any player who gets injured on that field is gonna sue."
The field has been the center of the conversation all week. On Friday, NFL Players’ Association executive director JC Tretter said the union’s concerns were focused on how the surface might play.
"The concern heading into this week was that the field would be loose, patchy, and lead to excessive slipping. ... Based on our experts' assessment, the field needed better traction and stability. They recommended reinforced stitching to help the surface hold together and brought in equipment to reinforce as much of the field as possible before the game."
The next day, NFL field director Nick Pappas said the work had already been done and tried to calm the noise around the condition of the grass.
“No need to worry. ... We have an independent inspector that comes in, walks with myself, walks with a member of the NFLPA.
They were here yesterday. Performed that test.
Things check out.”
Dak Prescott, meanwhile, brushed off the issue when asked about it on Friday. The Cowboys quarterback said he wasn’t spending much time worrying about the field and trusted what he would be wearing on his feet.
“Not a lot goes into that for me. I trust my equipment, the cleats that I’m going to have. Not really even looking into the news about how people feel about the field.”
He added that if the surface is approved, he’s ready to play on it.
“If it’s the surface we’re gonna play on, let’s go do it. One way or another, obviously if they’re gonna allow the game to be played, it’s good enough.
Where I’m from, I’ve played on worse. I’ve been tackled on concrete.
So, the fact that the grass is soft, we’ll take it. I’ll take it anyways.
I hope not to hit it anyways.”
Kickoff for Cowboys-Ravens is set for 4:25 p.m. ET/3:25 p.m. CT on CBS.
In Other News...
Ravens Brazil Game Just Got An Unexpected Halftime Twist
The Ravens trip to Brazil is getting a bigger spotlight than just the football itself, with Ricky Martin set to headline the halftime show when Baltimore faces the Cowboys. Hell be joined onstage by Brazilian funk star Pedro Sampaio, adding a local flavor to a matchup already notable as part of the NFLs push into an international market.
For Baltimore, its another reminder that this game is being staged as more than a regular-season date on the schedule. Martin brings worldwide recognition and prior NFL halftime experience, while Sampaio gives the event a distinctly Brazilian edge, making the midgame break one more part of a night designed to feel like a showcase. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Fans Already Have A Dak Problem Before Rio Kickoff
The NFLs first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro is already drawing attention before kickoff, with the Cowboys and Ravens set to meet at Maracan Stadium in a showcase that feels as much about the setting as the matchup. Players who saw the field came away saying it was very soft, adding an immediate layer of uncertainty to a trip that was supposed to spotlight two of the leagues biggest brands on an international stage.
Off the field, the pregame presentation has also stirred conversation, especially among Cowboys fans who took issue with the caricatures of Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson displayed around the stadium. Prescotts likeness in particular drew plenty of criticism online for how unflattering it looked, giving Dallas supporters something else to gripe about before the football even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Need Zay Flowers Now More Than Ever Against Dallas
Zay Flowers traveled with the Ravens to Rio de Janeiro for their meeting with the Cowboys, and that alone gives Baltimore a little more hope as it tries to get back on track after a 1-1 start. Flowers sat out Week 2 with a hamstring injury, and the expectation is he will be eased back in if he gets the all-clear in a pregame test. For a Baltimore offense that leans heavily on tempo and playmaking at the receiver spot, having Flowers even in a limited role matters against a Dallas defense that is still sorting through injuries of its own.
The Cowboys are heading into Maracan Stadium without some key pieces in the secondary, including starting safety Malik Hooker, P.J. Locke and cornerback Cobie Durant. That leaves Baltimore with a chance to stress a defense that may already be shorthanded, especially if Flowers can give the Ravens even part of his usual burst. The bigger question now is not whether he can help, but how much he can handle if he is active. [Read more 🡒]