TOM BRADY COMPLETED 30-of-37 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns Sunday to spark the defending NFL champion New England Patriots over Oakland 33-8 at Mexico City for their sixth consecutive victory.
The 40-year-old quarterback, a five-time Super Bowl champion, connected with Brandin Cooks on a season-long 64-yard touchdown toss. Stephen Gostkowski also kicked four field goals, including a team-record 62-yarder, in the game before a sellout crowd of 77,357 at Estadio Azteca.
“It was just a fiesta all over the field,” said Patriots right end Rob Gronkowski.
Brady’s sixth 300-yard game of the season, one more than he managed all of last season, was the 82nd of his career.
“We played from ahead, which is kind of the way we wanted to,” Brady said. “We didn’t turn it over and that’s a good formula for winning.”
It was New England’s club-record 13th consecutive road game, the second-longest streak in NFL history behind the 1989-90 run of 18 by the Joe Montana-led San Francisco 49ers.
The NFL and Mexico’s tourism ministry also announced a deal for one regular-season game in Mexico annually from 2019-2021 after the current contract ends next year.
Eagles, Saints streak on
Carson Wentz threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles improved to an NFL-best 9-1 with their eighth consecutive triumph, a 37-9 win at Dallas that boosted their NFC East lead over the Cowboys to four games.
New Orleans also captured an eighth consecutive victory. Wil Lutz kicked a 28-yard field goal in over-time to defeat Washington 34-31, completing a rally from 15 points down in the last six minutes of regulation time.
“From where this started to where it is now, we’ve grown in leaps and bounds. The sky’s the limit for this group,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees said.
“We’re playing with a ton of confidence and when you win games like this you feel like you can win anywhere, anytime, any way. That’s a good feeling.”
Case Keenum was 27-of-38 passing for 280 yards and a touchdown against his former team, while Latavius Murray ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns as the host Minnesota Vikings beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-7. The victory stretches their win streak to six games.
“It’s going to be hard to yank him out of there right now,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said of Keenum. “He’s playing good.”
Keenum was asked if he should remain the starter even with Teddy Bridgewater back after missing a year with a knee injury.
“If it is not broke, don’t fix it,” Keenum said. “Let’s keep doing what we’re doing.”
Minnesota’s defenders kept the NFL’s top-scoring attack to its season low in points and only 261 total yards in the showdown of division leaders.
Stafford powers Detroit to win
Detroit’s Matthew Stafford completed 21-of-31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns as the visiting Lions outlasted Chicago 27-24. Matt Prater’s 52-yard field goal with 95 seconds remaining provided the victory margin.
Blake Bortles threw a 10-yard touchdown pass and Telvin Smith recovered a fumble in the end zone to spark Jacksonville over winless Cleveland 19-7.
Aldrick Rosas kicked four field goals, the last from 23 yards in over-time, to give the New York Giants a 12-9 home victory over Kansas City. The Giants (2-8) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Chiefs fell to 6-4.
Patrick Murray kicked a 35-yard field goal with seven seconds remaining and Tampa Bay added a fumble recovery touchdown on the final play in a 30-20 win at Miami.
Andy Dalton threw for three touchdowns and the Cincinnati Bengals edged Denver 20-17 for their first road victory over the Broncos since 1975. Denver’s six-game losing streak is its longest since 1990.
Baltimore forced five turnovers in a 23-0 romp at Green Bay, inflicting the first shutout on the Packers since 2006.
Rookie D’Onta Foreman ran for two touchdowns and the Houston Texans downed visiting Arizona 31-21.
Philip Rivers threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns while Buffalo rookie Nathan Peterman tossed five interceptions in his NFL debut as the Los Angeles Chargers ripped the visiting Bills 54-24.
Sunday’s results
Detroit Lions 27-24 Chicago Bears
Jacksonville Jaguars 19-7 Cleveland Browns
Baltimore Ravens 23-0 Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans 31-21 Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-20 Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings 24-7 Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints 34-31 Washington Redskins
New York Giants 12-9 Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers 54-24 Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals 20-17 Denver Broncos
New England Patriots 33-8 Oakland Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles 37-9 Dallas Cowboys
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