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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 18 November 2017
Patriots, Raiders head to

Azteca Stadium in Mexico City

By BARRY WILNER to prepare for what Mexico run them over and over
AP Pro Football Writer City will be, at the same al- and over and over. They’re
Hola, Los Patriots y Los Raid- titude. So, it’s good training good at it. You get better
ers. Bienvenido a Azteca. and I’m glad we’re doing at what you do.”
The NFL’s final international it.” Case Keenum comes off a
game this season features The action began Thursday spectacular performance
the back-on-target Patri- night with Pittsburgh’s 40-17 and remains at quarter-
ots and the disappointing home victory over Tennes- back despite the return of
In this Nov. 21, 2016, file photo, Oakland Raiders fullback Jamize Raiders on Sunday. see. Teddy Bridgewater. Kee-
Olawale scores a touchdown during the second half of an NFL It’s the second straight year Ben Roethlisberger threw num was the starter for the
football game against the Houston Texans in Mexico City. Oakland has given up a for 299 yards and four Rams to begin last season
Associated Press game in California to host touchdowns, three to An- and made 14 starts over
one in Mexico City. In 2016, tonio Brown, to help Pitts- the past two years.
that worked out well as the burgh (8-2) win its fifth Washington (4-5) at New
Raiders, headed toward straight games. Tennessee Orleans (7-2)
the playoffs, beat Houston dropped to 6-4. No team has been more
27-20. Off in this final week of byes impressive in the past two
This is a bigger challenge, are Indianapolis (3-7), Car- months than the Saints.
particularly because New olina (7-3), San Francisco They’re riding a seven-
England (7-2) has won five (1-9) and the New York Jets game winning streak in
straight and Oakland (4-5) (4-6). which — get this! — the de-
has been far too inconsis- Philadelphia (8-1) at Dallas fense has been as stellar as
tent. (5-4) the offense.
The Raiders, losers of their An Eagles victory would As usual, Drew Brees has the
past four meetings with the pretty much sew up the passing game humming,
Patriots, are a mess on de- NFC East, giving Philly a and the contributions of
fense. four-game edge with six the running back tandem
Oakland is the only team weeks remaining. of Mark Ingram and rookie
in NFL history with no inter- This is a difficult stretch for Alvin Kamara has made
ceptions on defense in its Dallas. It comes off a loss New Orleans even more
first nine games. The only at 2016 NFC champion At- dynamic with the ball.
team since at least 1940 to lanta, now faces the team Without it, the Saints rank
go 10 in a row without in- with the league’s best re- eighth overall on D and
tercepting a pass was San cord, then has a quick turn- have found a pass rush that
Francisco in 1976-77. around for its traditional will trouble Kirk Cousins and
The Raiders also are allow- Thanksgiving Day game, the banged-up Redskins.
ing opposing quarterbacks against the Chargers. The Washington is one fran-
to complete 71.2 percent Cowboys had little offense chise Saints coach Sean
of passes and post a 110.5 against the Falcons with Payton has had little suc-
passer rating; both would star running back Ezekiel El- cess in facing. He’s 1-4
be third worst in NFL history. liott sitting out the first game against the Redskins.
And the opposing QB this of a six-game suspension, Atlanta (5-4) at Seattle (6-
time is merely a guy named and star left tackle Tyron 3), Monday night
Brady, in the midst of one Smith injured, opening a di- Dan Quinn’s defense is be-
of his finest seasons. rect path into the backfield ginning to resemble, may-
“It’s pretty much vin- for Atlanta. be only slightly but definite-
tage Tom Brady ,” Raiders Los Angeles Rams (7-2) at ly, what his mentor, Pete
coach Jack Del Rio said. “I Minnesota (7-2) Carroll, has put together
think he’s been as good as Anyone out there foresee in Seattle. Adrian Clay-
anybody doing it for quite this as the Week 11 high- borne’s six sacks against
a number of years. light matchup? Dallas might have come
“For the most part, he’s re- Didn’t think so. against backup tackles,
ally competitive. He’s really LA’s improvement under but it was the latest sign of
prepared and you know first-year coach Sean Mc- an improved unit. Indeed,
you have your hands full Vay has been remarkable. over most of this season,
anytime you’re going up A year ago at this point, the Atlanta’s D has been more
against him.” Rams were 4-5, but would consistent.
The Patriots stayed in Colo- lose the rest of their games. The Seahawks’ Legion of
rado after their win at Den- Now, they appear headed Boom has had the boom
ver to acclimate to high al- for the playoffs. lowered on it with injuries to
titude for the trip to Mexico “They’re really efficient at Richard Sherman (Achilles
City. what they do,” said Vikings tendon), Earl Thomas (ham-
“You can feel it for coach Mike Zimmer, who string) and Kam Chancellor
sure,” said tight end Rob could have been referring (neck).
Gronkowski, noting his skin to all facets of LA’s game, As odd as this may seem,
was dry. “A lot of people not just the offense. “They the Seahawks could rely
are getting their nose super line up, they run a lot of the more on Russell Wilson
dry, their mouth super dry. same plays. Different for- and his offense down the
So, I’m just glad to be here mations, same plays. They’ll stretch.q