Patriots romp in Mexico as Saints, Eagles also stretch streaks

Reuters

Tom Brady completed 30-of-37 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday to spark the defending NFL champions New England Patriots over Oakland 33-8 in 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 TD 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 National Football League 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.

In Arlington, Texas, Carson Wentz threw for two TDs and three 2-point conversions after Philadelphia lost kicker Jake Elliott to a head injury, and the Eagles all but wrapped up the NFC East with the victory over Dallas.

The Eagles (9-1) outscored the Cowboys 30-0 in the second half while extending their winning streak to eight games, their longest since 2003-04 and tied with New Orleans for the best current run in the NFL.

Philadelphia leads the second-place and defending division champions Cowboys (5-5) by four games with six to play after handing Dallas its worst home loss at 8-year-old AT&T Stadium.

Dallas' Dak Prescott threw a career-high three interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned for a TD in his second straight loss without star running back Ezekiel Elliott, serving a six-game suspension for alleged domestic violence.

Jake Elliott left the game after missing a 34-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

In New Orleans, the Saints also extended their win streak to eight games with an unlikely comeback, erasing a 15-point deficit inside the final six minutes or regulation and kicking a short field goal in overtime to defeat Washington.

Mark Ingram capped a 131-yard rushing performance with gains of 20 and 31 yards on back-to-back carries in overtime to set up Wil Lutz's winning 28-yard kick.

Drew Brees passed for 385 yards and two TDs, going 11 of 11 for 164 yards and his only two TDs on New Orleans' final two possessions of regulation. His first TD went to tight end Josh Hill with 2:53 to go, and the last to Alvin Kamara with 1:05 left.

The Saints (8-2) set up their final drive by stopping Samaje Perine on third-and-1 at the two-minute warning when a first down would have allowed Washington (4-6) to run out the clock.

"From where this started to where it is now, we've grown in leaps and bounds. The sky's the limit for this group," 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."

Elsewhere on Sunday, it was: Giants 12, Chiefs 9, OT; Vikings 24, Rams 7; Ravens 23, Packers 0; Bengals 20, Broncos 17; Lions 27, Bears 24; Jaguars 19, Browns 7; Buccaneers 30, Dolphins 20; and Texans 31, Cardinals 21.