The New England Patriots did not play an international game during Mike Vrabel’s debut season as head coach in 2025, but they are set to perform their act outside of the United States later this year. As was announced on Wednesday morning, Vrabel and company will take on the Detroit Lions in Germany in mid-November.
The Week 10 contest, which is scheduled for a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, Nov. 15, in Munich, is the organization’s sixth international contest so far. The Patriots are 3-2 in the previous
five games.
Here is what the announcement means for the team from a big-picture perspective.
Quasi-home game?
The game in Munich is a road game for the Patriots, in more ways than one. Not only will they have to fly across the Atlantic, they are also the designated visitors against the Lions.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, though. Given the club’s popularity in Germany, the game could have the flair of a home game. At the very least, there will be a neutral-site flavor to it: due to their rarity, international games are in large numbers visited by fans of various different teams, leading to a less-hostile environment than a typical regular season contest would present.
For the Patriots, that is a welcome development. Instead of facing a hostile crowd at Detroit’s Ford Field, they will be created by a more friendly set of spectators at Allianz Arena.
Chance to right some wrongs
The Patriots started their international era in dominant fashion. Led by quarterback Tom Brady, they won each of their first three games — against the Buccaneers, Rams and Raiders — by multiple touchdowns. In fact, the average score of those contests was 38-7 in New England’s favor.
Brady’s departure in 2020, however, marked a watershed moment for the team’s international fortunes. The Patriots lost both of their games abroad since then, dropping a 2023 contest in Germany 10-6 to the Colts before a 32-16 loss to the Jaguars in London the following year.
Now, they will get another crack at returning to their winning ways on international soil. Likewise, their head coach will have a chance to improve upon an 0-2 international record: Mike Vrabel was defeated in both of his games outside the U.S. as head coach of the Titans.
Tennessee lost 20-19 to the Chargers during the 2018 season and 24-16 to the Ravens in 2023. Both of those games were played in London.
Bonding experience
Despite repeatedly being in the headlines for his off-field conduct this offseason, Mike Vrabel has been lauded for his abilities as a culture builder since arriving in New England in 2025. Needless to say, the Patriots’ trip to Germany will present an opportunity for him to keep building.
International games such as this one, after all, differ from the usual in-season road trip due to their length. Whereas teams typically fly out on Saturday for a Sunday matchup, the flight across the Atlantic will take place during the week to allow players and staff to better adapt to the effects of jet lag. In turn, the entire team will spend more time together — a chance for some cultural fine-tuning heading into the season’s home stretch.
Bye week impact
There is no rule governing the placement of bye weeks relative to teams’ international games, but they usually follow right after to give players a chance to recover from the trips. We won’t know for sure until the full schedule release on Thursday night, but playing in Germany suggests that the Patriots’ bye this season might come up in Week 11.
Of course, the Patriots know themselves that such a bye week placement is not a guarantee. Their last international trip to London two years ago, for example, did not precede a bye and they actually played six more games before their first break of the season in Week 14.
That said, such a scheduling is not possible this year given how late in the season the game is (i.e. a month later than that 2024 contest). So, unless the Patriots’ bye comes at an earlier point in the season, the post-trip bye still seems like the most likely option.
