Why does the Commanders' field have brown spots all over it for the Giants game in Week 2?

The Washington Commanders already play in one of the worst stadiums in American professional sports. In Week 2, it’ll be a little worse than usual.

Fans tuning in for an NFC East rivalry game between the Commanders and New York Giants will be played on a field with three dead spots where the natural turf has seen better days. Per the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala, that’s the result of malfunctioning sprinklers and subsequent repair — but it’s not expected to have a palpable effect on the condition of that grass.

There are three brown spots on the field at Northwest Stadium. A Commanders spokesperson said three irrigation heads recently malfunctioned and required repair, altering the aesthetics of field in those areas. pic.twitter.com/rP5Qx06hPH

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 15, 2024

The tainted turf will only be noticeable when either team nears the red zone — which, given the Giants’ terrible opener may not be super often. And while that grass has been given the all clear from a structural standpoint it, uh, doesn’t look great.

The marks or spots on the field pictured below..

Per a #Commanders spokerperson: Three irrigation heads recently malfunctioned and required repair, thus altering the aesthetics of field in those areas. @NWStadium @team980 pic.twitter.com/466cboXlc1

— Chris Russell AKA the ! (@Russellmania621) September 15, 2024