Patriots' week at Air Force Academy pays off with lopsided win

MEXICO CITY — The New England Patriots trained all week in the high altitude at the Air Force Academy, which was an experience they said wouldn’t mean as much if they didn’t finish with a victory over the Oakland Raiders.

They took care of that rather quickly Sunday with a 33-8 win at Estadio Azteca, where chants of “Brady! Brady! Brady!” filled the smoggy air.

The Patriots thumped the Raiders in a complete three-phase effort that reflects their place as one of the league’s best, while positioning themselves for a deep playoff run by playing their best football in the second half of the season. Meanwhile, at 40 years old, quarterback Tom Brady continues to make a strong case for MVP honors.

Brady wowed the Mexico crowd, which began chanting his name after the Raiders were stopped on third down on their initial drive. The anticipation of seeing Brady, who has now won an NFL game in three different countries (U.S., England, Mexico), created a rare environment that had a Super Bowl-type feel.

Brady rang up his 82nd career game with 300 yards passing, but if there was one moment that best captured how the Patriots are rolling as a complete team, it came late in the second quarter as the Raiders were threatening to score a touchdown.

Bill Belichick’s best teams have always had a knack for taking advantage of opponents’ miscues, and that’s what happened when Raiders receiver Seth Roberts inexplicably held the ball out in front of him after making a catch at the 3-yard line. Linebacker Marquis Flowers, a core special-teams player who has a niche role on defense by playing in passing situations, took off like a jet on the Air Force Academy runway and blasted it free.