The NFL has announced that Monday night's showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) and Los Angeles Rams (9-1) will no longer be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Due to concerns over poor field conditions, the league has opted to relocate the game to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The game will still be played on Monday night.
"We have worked extensively with our partners at Estadio Azteca for months in preparation for this game," Mark Waller, NFL executive vice president of international, said in a statement. "Until very recently, we had no major concerns. But, the combination of a difficult rainy season and a heavy multi-event calendar of events at the stadium, have resulted in significant damage to the field that presents unnecessary risks to player safety and makes it unsuitable to host an NFL game.
"As a result, we have determined that moving the game is the right decision, and one that we needed to announce now in order to allow our teams and fans to make alternate arrangement."
Entering Week 11, the Chiefs and Rams rank as two of the most explosive offenses, with Kansas City averaging 35.3 points per game and L.A. averaging 33.5. The New Orleans Saints are the only team to score more on a weekly basis. On top of that, the Rams and Chiefs rank second and third, respectively, in yards per game trailing only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
According to ESPN, the Rams left for Colorado Springs on Monday to train at high altitude in preparation for the game in Mexico City, where the elevation is about 7,300 feet. The team will now return to Los Angeles on Saturday.