Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is sacked by New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) in the second half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Kenny Clark is headed back to Brazil, where his Dallas Cowboys face Baltimore two years after the defensive tackle played for the Green Bay Packers on a "mushy" field.
This year, it's the first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro matching 1-1 teams on Sunday. In 2024, it was a season opener and another NFL first in Sao Paulo, where the Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-29.
Clark is trying not to correlate the two.
"Regardless, we're going out there to play a game on Sunday," Clark said. "That would be crazy for me to be up here complaining about it. I'm ready to play."
Whatever the conditions, the Cowboys will be chasing the NFL's most dangerous mobile quarterback in Lamar Jackson after struggling to contain Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants and Washington's Jayden Daniels in the first two games of the season.
Jackson faced the same questions about conditions at Maracana Stadium -- and showing even less concern than Clark.
"I am locked in," Jackson said. "I cannot focus on how the grass would be."
There won't be nearly as much chatter about the long flight to Rio as there was for this year's first international game in Melbourne, Australia. That was a season opener as well, and San Francisco beat the Rams 27-7 after the 49ers gave themselves a week to adjust while Los Angeles arrived less than two days before kickoff.
In this case, both teams were planning to take 10-hour flights that left Thursday evening and arrived in Rio on Friday morning. Both teams played the previous Sunday, and both will be back on the field next Sunday, Oct. 4.
"Try to walk around as much as possible, but at the same time sleep as much as possible," Jackson said. "It is a 10-hour flight, right? Five and five -- try to balance it out."
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Jackson and running back Derrick Henry vs. the Dallas front seven. While the Cowboys did a better job pressuring Daniels -- and Marcus Mariota after Daniels' elbow injury -- than they did Dart in the opener, they couldn't get either Washington quarterback on the ground. Dallas is also allowing an average of 4.5 yards per carry in the traditional running game through two weeks. Without further improvement by the Cowboys under young first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Jackson and Henry might run wild.
STATS AND STUFF
The Cowboys gave up a home game for their first international appearance in 12 years. It's the first regular-season game in Rio de Janeiro, but the third consecutive season for a game in Brazil. Sao Paulo's Corinthians Arena hosted a game each of the past two years. Both of Baltimore's previous international games were in London, most recently in 2023.
It appears Dallas will be without safety Malik Hooker (forearm) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) for a second consecutive game. The same could be true for Ravens receiver Zay Flowers, who injured a hamstring in the opener. Baltimore left tackle Ronnie Stanley exited with a toe injury last week and didn't return.
The Cowboys had the worst third-down defense in the NFL last season and are trending that way again. They have allowed a league-worst 68% conversion rate through two weeks. In the opener against the Giants, Dallas had just two second-half possessions because the defense couldn't get off the field. New York scored the first two times it had the ball after the break and ran out the clock on the third possession.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) celebrates after throwing a pass for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the second half during an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) celebrates after throwing a pass for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the second half during an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
FILE - FILE - A general view of the closing ceremony before the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, July 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Amma, File)
FILE - FILE - A general view of the closing ceremony before the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, July 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Hassan Amma, File)
Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs (13) tackles Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) in the first half during an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs (13) tackles Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) in the first half during an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) carries against the New Orleans Saints in the first half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) carries against the New Orleans Saints in the first half of an NFL football game in Baltimore, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)