Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire by ability of Getty Photographs
The Arizona Cardinals defended Negate Farm Stadium after Kansas Metropolis Chiefs head coach Andy Reid acknowledged the loose turf turn into a contributing element to cornerback Trent McDuffie’s hamstring damage and kicker Harrison Butker’s ankle damage in Sunday’s sport.
“All of the field turn into replaced on Monday, August 22nd—the day after the final home preseason sport vs. Baltimore—so it had it nearly three plump weeks sooner than the Week 1 sport vs. Kansas Metropolis,” Cardinals spokesperson Note Dalton told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. “That’s good enough time for the Tifway Bermuda 419 hybrid sod to clutch root, in particular in 109 levels and abundant sunshine.”
Dalton also pointed to the stadium’s display screen file.
“The field at Negate Farm Stadium is automatically ranked among doubtlessly the most keen—if not doubtlessly the most keen—among NFL gamers, alongside with in surveys conducted by the NFLPA,” he added. “Adore any fields, the surface at Negate Farm Stadium undergoes the NFL’s required discovering out and certification job both sooner than and after video games. Sunday it not simplest met nonetheless exceeded those standards.”
The response got right here after Reid told journalists the turf turn into “a tiny bit of bit loose” and “segment of the Butker damage and McDuffie damage … The turf picked up, and I would explain you that that did personal one thing to create with it. If it did not, I would explain you that, too. So it be not an excuse in any contrivance, nonetheless I mean, you all can glimpse it. Eye the tape.”
Kansas Metropolis placed McDuffie on injured reserve, that suggests he’ll omit the next four video games.
It’s a not easy blow since the Chiefs face AFC West competitors within the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders throughout the next four contests. They also play Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during that stretch, that suggests the protection will be tested.
Butker’s damage turn into a story interior the sport, as Kansas Metropolis grew to turn out to be to safety Justin Reid to address kicking responsibilities after he exited.
Reid made even handed one of many 2 extra aspects he tried throughout the 44-21 victory.
This season’s Huge Bowl will be at Negate Farm Stadium, so any doable turf considerations will be magnified as the season progresses. But the Cardinals primarily feel it turn into as much as standards for the Week 1 sport.
