The Cowboys are heading into Week 3 with more than just the Baltimore Ravens on the itinerary. They’re also dealing with a long trip to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, for a game that Chris “Mad Dog” Russo says puts Dallas at a clear “competitive disadvantage.”
On Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” Russo took aim at Jerry Jones for agreeing to the international setup, especially with the Cowboys trying to navigate a difficult stretch on the schedule.
“To me, I think this is a terrible job by Jerry Jones,” Russo said. “It’s great for the NFL.
I am not playing a home game 10 hours away in Rio De Janeiro. And if you heard Prescott after the game, which I did, on FOX, he said, 'You know what, now we gotta gear ourselves up for an incredible road trip.'
"He acknowledged the idea that this is a pain in the neck. That's 11 hours to go to Rio to play football, and it's a Dallas home game.
And then they come back, they gotta play Houston. I, as an owner of a football team, I am not putting my team in that situation. ...
For Jerry, it's about business, it's about branding, it's about the Cowboys. To me, it's a competitive disadvantage.
Would you rather play Lamar Jackson in Dallas or in a neutral field in Rio?”
That matchup is part of a season in which the Cowboys have nine scheduled home games. After the Brazil trip, they’re set to go to Houston to face the Texans before returning home to play Tampa Bay.
Dallas has already had a mixed start to the year. The Cowboys opened with a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants, then bounced back in Week 2 with a 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders under coach Brian Schottenheimer.
Jones, though, sounded relaxed about the move when he appeared Tuesday on the “Shan and RJ” show on 105.3 The Fan. He said he expects the conditions to be workable.
“I’m comfortable that the field will be ready for us,” Jones said. “It’s realistic that we can have a good game on the field.”
He also said the trip comes with some personal business on the side.
“I have an interest in a lot of automobile dealerships in Sao Paulo as well as Rio. I have an associate that I've been partners with for 30 years.
We're the largest dealers in Brazil. So, I got a lot of good friends I'll be saying hello to down there.”
The league has nine international games scheduled this season, beginning with the San Francisco 49ers’ 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Australia on Sept. 10.
Last season, the Cowboys finished second in the NFC East at 7-9-1 and have not made the playoffs since 2023.
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