Ravens rule out Ronnie Stanley vs. Cowboys as questions about field in Rio de Janeiro persist

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RIO DE JANEIRO — The Ravens ruled left tackle Ronnie Stanley out of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys as questions about Maracanã Stadium’s playing surface and the potential debut of two defensive starters persisted.

Stanley missed practice all week with a toe injury and watched Friday’s walk-through at the Botafogo soccer team’s facility in sweats. Carson Vinson is expected to make his first career start.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Zay Flowers (hamstring), who was estimated to be limited in Friday’s walk-through practice after missing Wednesday’s and Thursday’s sessions in Owings Mills, is questionable. He hasn’t played since the first half of the Ravens’ season opener two weeks ago.

Pro Bowl defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan (knee) could be in line for their season debuts Sunday. Both practiced fully this week, and neither was listed with a game designation for Week 3. Madubuike hasn’t played since a season-ending injury last September that required offseason surgery, while Buchanan’s impressive rookie season ended in December.

“I feel like a lot of the other guys [besides Stanley] have a real opportunity to maybe help us in the game,” coach Jesse Minter said after practice Friday. “Excited about that.”

Ravens players arrived in Brazil on Friday morning and are expected to travel to Maracanã Stadium on Saturday, their first opportunity to assess a playing surface that has come under scrutiny. In a lengthy statement Friday, NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter said field experts from the union and the league have monitored conditions this week and are “working to make the surface as safe and playable as possible for Sunday.”

Soccer players who’ve played at the historic venue have voiced concerns in recent weeks about the playing surface amid historic rainfalls in Rio de Janeiro and a busy game schedule.

“Based on our experts’ assessment, the field needed better traction and stability,” Tretter said in his statement. “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. Our experts will remain engaged and continue evaluating conditions through kickoff.”

NFL field director Nick Pappas told The Banner on Monday that the league has “plenty of work to do” to prepare the field for its first NFL game, but he added: “I have faith that it’ll all get done.”

Minter reiterated that field conditions would not favor one particular team but said the Ravens have a “plan in place” to account for different field conditions, including outfitting players with the proper cleats.

“At the end of the day, again, it’s us being out there, playing our style of football, knowing that, just like if it started pouring down rain in a game where you thought it might not, the ability to adjust to different things like that will be really important,” Minter said.

Inside linebacker Roquan Smith said he was “not really too concerned” about the uncertainty surrounding Sunday’s game. He plans to test his footing before kickoff, then decide on which footwear he feels most comfortable in.

“Can’t really worry or focus on the circumstances,” Smith said. “Those are out of my control.”

The Cowboys will be without starting inside linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, starting cornerback Cobie Durant and starting safeties Malik Hooker and P.J. Locke on Sunday. All four were ruled out Thursday and did not make the trip to Brazil.