MEXICO CITY -- The Oakland Raiders had an extra week to prepare for the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots with the bye. Instead, the Raiders looked like they just started playing football this week.
Oakland was embarrassed by the Patriots to the tune of a 33-8 beatdown, and if the Raiders did not have their manhood taken from them in a game they trailed 30-0 in the fourth quarter, they certainly had the crowd stolen from them. Or did you not hear the chants of "Bra-dy, Bra-dy, Bra-dy" emanating from south of the border?
What it means: Despite being in danger of being shut out for the first time since the 52-0 blowout at the then-St. Louis Rams on Nov. 30, 2014, and getting thoroughly thumped by the Patriots to fall to 4-6, you cannot count the Raiders out in the AFC West just yet. Not with Kansas City (6-4) losing earlier in the day, and not with the Raiders having already beaten the Chiefs. Also, the second wild card in the AFC remains in play.
What I liked: The Raiders ran the ball as well as they have all season, gouging the Patriots for 87 yards in the first half, with Marshawn Lynch rushing for 61 yards on nine carries, including a 25-yarder in the second quarter. It set up the play-action passing game nicely, and it would have meant more, had Seth Roberts not fumbled inside the 10-yard line late in the first half and had the defense been able to slow Tom Brady and Brandin Cooks.
What I didn't like: Roberts not just going down. On one hand, you have to applaud Roberts' desire to extend a play. But with three Patriots defenders around him at the 3-yard line, he was not going to score. Instead, in waving the ball around, Roberts had the ball punched out with 33 seconds left in the first half. And instead of possibly pulling to within 14-7 at the half, the Patriots responded with a 62-yard field goal as the half expired.
Fantasy fallout: You never really seriously considered starting the Raiders' defense on your fantasy team, right? Good. Because for the 10th straight week, the Raiders failed to get an interception. Oakland entered the week tied with the New York Giants for the fewest sacks in the NFL (13) and as the first team since at least 1933 to go the first nine games of a season without a pick.
A Khalil Mack sighting: Want at least one highlight? Mack had a sack. It was sack No. 5.5 of the season for the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, but it was only his first full sack in his past six games. An interesting development was Mack and Brady staring at each other after the play concluded, as if Brady wanted Mack to help him up. Mack did not. And with the first-half sack, Mack moved into seventh on the Raiders' career sack list with 35.5.
What's next: The Raiders return to Oakland for the first time since Oct. 19 -- they played at Buffalo and Miami before the bye and then had the Mexico City "home game" -- and will play host to the Denver Broncos, who beat the Raiders 16-10 in Denver on Oct. 1.