Written by Randal C. Archibold at New York Times
Technically, it was a home game for the Oakland Raiders, though played thousands of miles south on the hallowed, soccer-entrenched ground of Estadio Azteca here.
But by the frequent, lusty chants of “Brady! Brady!”; the deafening roar every time the New England Patriots did something right, which was pretty much the entire game; and Brady’s nearly flawless performance in a 33-8 win for the Patriots, the colossus of the N.F.L. felt right at home on Sunday here in the colossus of Saint Ursula, as the stadium is nicknamed.
Such a sterling night for Brady, who completed 30 of 37 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns, surely would please the N.F.L. executives who brought one of their biggest stars here as the league ramps up its international presence.
Yet Brady was not the only spectacle in this stadium with a long history of memorable soccer matches.
Stephen Gostkowski of the Patriots kicked a 62-yard field goal — one of four for him on the night — as the first half ended, a record for the Patriots and one surely helped by the thin air at 7,200 feet of elevation.
It gave a jolt of momentum to the Patriots (8-2), as if they needed it in a blowout that laid bare Oakland’s anemic defense. Oakland, trailing by 30-0, finally scored in the fourth quarter, when Amari Cooper scored a touchdown on a pass from Derek Carr.
The win improved the Patriots chances for the top seed in the A.F.C. playoffs. As the game wound down, thick storm clouds menaced, mirroring the increasingly gloomy postseason outlook for Oakland (4-6).
No matter.
The announced crowd of 77,000 treated this event like a Super Bowl nearly the entire time: The fans’ excitement was palpable; their face paint, jerseys and carousing inside and outside the stadium a testament to their anticipation for this game.
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