Tailgating’s the Same, but Not the Food

There were hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, but almost nobody in the parking lot was buying them.

“The tacos are what the people like,” said Sandra Gonzalez, who ran one of the dozens of food stalls under red tents in the shadow of Mexico City’s cavernous Azteca Stadium. “Even with American football. It’s no different than any other day.”

Welcome to NFL tailgating, south-of-the-border style.

As the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers prepared to take the field Sunday for the first regular-season contest played outside the United States, most fans washed down tacos and white-cheese enchiladas with fruit juice or the occasional Corona -- a long way from the pregame fare of burgers and a couple of cold ones in the United States.

“We’ve waited a long time for this. We wanted to be here early and enjoy it,” said Pablo Giron, who, four hours before kickoff, had had two rounds of tacos.

Giron said he had attended four previous preseason games played in Mexico City, but “those games were like practices.”

“They were half games,” he said. “Not like this.”

League surveys list the 49ers as among Mexico’s most popular NFL squads, and hundreds of fans wore San Francisco jerseys, jackets and caps. Many also came in Cardinal garb, but the majority wore the jersey of their favorite team, regardless of who was taking the field.

“There’s a lot of atmosphere, a lot of passion. It’s more than in the United States because we don’t get the opportunity to do this every week,” said Jose Alfredo Ramirez, a 30-year-old accountant who was wearing a Cleveland Brown jersey and drove two hours from the central city of Queretaro with six friends to be at the game.

“Today is special,” he said. “It’s like the Super Bowl for us.”

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Kansas City’s Dante Hall tied an NFL record with the sixth kickoff-return touchdown of his career, a 96-yarder in the second quarter of a 37-31 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was the 10th kick-return touchdown of Hall’s career, his first since a 97-yard kickoff return against Denver on Dec. 19, 2004. He returned kicks for scores in four consecutive games, an NFL record, in 2003.

Hall shares the kickoff return record with Ollie Matson, Gale Sayers, Travis Williams and Mel Gray.

He is third on the career list for total kick-return touchdowns, behind Brian Mitchell (13) and Eric Metcalf (12).

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Running back Jarrett Payton, son of the late Walter Payton, finally played in his first NFL game when the Tennessee Titans promoted him from the practice squad.

The Titans needed Payton, who went undrafted out of Miami in 2004, to fill the slot left by the four-game suspension of Travis Henry for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. Payton finished with four carries for 37 yards.

“Now the butterflies are gone,” Payton said. “I feel like the first time is over, and now I can just go out and play. If they need me, I’ll be ready.”

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Denver cornerback Champ Bailey’s streak of 99 consecutive starts ended when he was inactive because of a hamstring injury.

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Sunday’s key injuries:

* Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick sprained a ligament in his right knee but expects to play next week against New England. Vick was hurt midway through the second quarter and sat out the rest of the game.

* Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, the first player in NFL history to begin his career with three consecutive 100-yard rushing games, was slowed by a sore hamstring and held to 13 yards in 11 carries in Tampa Bay’s 17-13 win over Detroit. He left the game late in the third quarter and didn’t return.

* St. Louis tight end Roland Williams dislocated his right knee and probably will be sidelined for the season.

* Seattle receiver Bobby Engram cracked two ribs on his first catch, but caught nine passes for 106 yards before leaving after three quarters.