LONDON (AP) — The NFL will play a record nine games internationally this season and they include three cities hosting for the first time: Melbourne, Australia; Rio de Janeiro; and Paris.Jacksonville and San Francisco both play two games abroad: the Jaguars back-to-back in London; the 49ers in Melbourne and later in Mexico City.Here’s some handy information about the games and locations.Melbourne, Week 1Talk about pushing boundaries. The Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in a game at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The league has never staged a regular-season game so far from home. It’s a nearly 16-hour flight from the West Coast. The NFL West matchup will kick off at 10:35 a.m. local time Friday, Sept. 11, in Melbourne — which will be 8:35 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, on the U.S. East Coast.The 100,000-capacity stadium, known as “The G,” is the largest on the NFL schedule this season. Aussies call American football “gridiron” so as not to confuse it with Australian Rules Football. Visitors might want to look up Shane Warne to get a flavor of Australian cricket history.
Rio de Janeiro, Week 3“America’s Team” is coming to the famed Maracanã Stadium on Sept. 27. The Dallas Cowboys will play just their second-ever regular-season international game when they face the Baltimore Ravens. In 2014, the Cowboys beat the Jaguars 31-17 at Wembley Stadium.Rio is hosting for the first time and has what looks like a good QB matchup: Dak Prescott vs. Lamar Jackson. The league has committed to playing at least three regular-season games in Rio over the next five years. There have been two previous games in Brazil — both in Sao Paulo.
