Preview for Baltimore Ravens @ Dallas Cowboys
The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will face off in the first NFL game to be held at the iconic Maracana on Sunday.
Both teams have endured mixed starts to the new season. Baltimore routed the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 before being stunned by the New Orleans Saints last Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cowboys were upset by the New York Giants in the season opener, but bounced back by defeating the Washington Commanders.
As such, the Ravens and the Cowboys will each be seeking to build some momentum, and a victory in one of the most famous venues in world sport would be an ideal way in which to do that.
The game will be the third held on Brazilian soil, the previous two having taken place in São Paulo.
But the build-up to the historic occasion has been somewhat overshadowed by concerns about the field at the home of Brazilian football.
The NFL Players Association voiced concerns about the state of the playing surface, though the NFL’s field director Nick Pappas said it has passed league testing.
Doubts about the field may limit the number of snaps the Ravens are willing to give star receiver Zay Flowers if he makes his return from a hamstring injury.
Baltimore surrendered a 17-9 fourth-quarter lead against the Saints as they suffered 24-17 defeat, and head coach Jesse Minter is relishing the chance to get back on track as he seeks to build his team’s identity in his first season as head coach.
“This is a week-to-week league, and every week is a new opportunity,” Minter said in a press conference.
“It is really about going 1-and-0 every week. The teams that improve as the year goes on, learn from things that happen to them both good and bad, and get a little bit better each week, are the ones that ultimately at the end of the year are playing the best.
“It is a process. It is a process to learn exactly how we want to prepare and do things and operate. We are trying to speed that up and figure that out, create an identity. That takes a little bit of time. I am just really excited to get this group back out there and let it rip again.”
Minter was the defensive coordinator last season for the Los Angeles Chargers when they beat the Cowboys 34-17.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
