There will be no NFL game in Mexico this season as next Monday’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) and the Los Angeles Rams (9-1) will instead be played in Los Angeles due to the poor field conditions at Estadio Azteca.
The marquee matchup between two of the league’s best teams was moved and will now take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, home of the Rams.
The NFL announced that the playing surface of the Azteca does not meet the league standards for playability and consistency and after further inspection it has concluded that the field will not meet those standards by next Monday.
According to Mark Waller, NFL Executive Vice President of International, the significant damage of the Azteca surface presents unnecessary risks to player safety and makes it unsuitable to host an NFL game.
The field’s poor condition has resulted from the combination of a heavy rainy season and a long list of calendar events that included soccer games and concerts.
The game moves to Los Angeles because NFL rules state that teams that forgo a home game to play internationally have to keep their stadium available as a contingency in case the game needs to be moved back.
This is a wise decision considering that this game involves two potential Super Bowl contenders squaring off against one another and featuring several of the league’s most exciting players and nobody wants to see the quality of the play being compromised by the quality of the field.
It will be interesting to see how the relocation of this game impacts its betting line considering that the Rams will now play in front of their fans. Los Angeles opened as a 2.5-point favorite with an over/under of 63.5, one of the highest totals ever to open up in Sin City.
