Estadio Azteca ‘great Atmosphere' for Raiders Victory

MEXICO CITY – The Raiders were only in Mexico City for a day, and stayed in their hotel prior to Monday night game against the Texans. The experience, however, was a good one.

A 27-20 victory over Houston at Estadio Azteca was the best part of their trip south of the border, but a raucous, decidedly pro-Raiders crowd made the experience better.

“The fans really showed up,” head coach Jack Del Rio said. “It was a great atmosphere to play in.”

The first regular-season game in Mexico since 2005 was a success, with 76,473 fans packed into a historic stadium. The Raiders put on a show, surging back with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win their fourth straight game.

It was generally loud all the time, but the fans seemed to know the game well and were cheering loud for the Raiders.

“I thought the crowd was outstanding,” Del Rio said. “We were excited to play here and they were certainly fired up to watch an NFL game. …It was a great environment to play in live. The fans came out, and they were terrific throughout the night.”

The game wasn’t without some incidents. A fan shined a green laser into Houston quarterback Brock Osweiller’s eyes several times during the game.

Texans head coach Bill O’Brien didn’t want to comment on it, though it was a strange turn in the game.

“That was kind of weird,” Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack said. “I saw it and thought I was in the twilight zone a few times, but I didn’t really know what it was.”

Altitude was another factor, with a pair of teams located near sea level played at an elevation of 7,382 feet. The Raiders believe they handled it well.

“As the game went on, we got used to it,” running back Latavius Murray said. “We did everything we possibly could to prepare for the altitude leading up to the game. We just found a way to overcome it and get a win. We made no excuse about it.”

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