2026 NFL Schedule Release: 5 Storylines To Watch In Patriots-Lions Game In Munich On FOX

When Sunday, Nov. 15, arrives, be prepared to keep the TV on FOX from the moment you wake up and through nearly the entire day. FOX will air its first tripleheader in over a decade, which will conclude with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the San Francisco 49ers on “America’s Game of the Week.” But the game that starts the Week 10 tripleheader is overseas. The New England Patriots will host the Detroit Lions at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, at 9:30 a.m. ET on FOX and FOX One. Munich has hosted NFL games at Allianz Arena twice before, drawing about 70,000 fans each time. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady beat the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, and the Carolina Panthers narrowly defeated the New York Giants in overtime in 2024. Munich will host a game again in 2028 as the NFL continues to expand its presence in Germany and all over the world. German fans love American football, and you’ll hear word-perfect singing of songs like John Denver’s “Country Roads” and Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” belted from the crowd during games. FOX Sports had the NFL’s first international game in 2007 when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in London as well. Here are five storylines that could play out in this year’s game: It makes sense that a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance is going to fare well no matter where they play, and the Patriots will try to improve on a 4-1 record in the past decade for teams in international games the year after playing in the Super Bowl. The lone loss came last year, when the Kansas City Chiefs, coming off a Super Bowl loss, opened the 2025 season in São Paulo, Brazil, and lost to the Los Angeles Chargers. The other four were all international wins, including the Chiefs, who also played in Frankfurt in 2023 as defending Super Bowl champs and beat the Miami Dolphins that year. In 2019, the Los Angeles Rams were coming off a Super Bowl loss and won in London against the Cincinnati Bengals; the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in London in 2018 as defending Super Bowl champs, and the Patriots beat the Raiders as defending champs in 2017. Some New England players have played in Germany before. The Patriots faced the Colts in Frankfurt during the 2023 NFL season, losing 10-6 in Bill Belichick’s final season. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 88 yards in the game, and receiver DeMario Douglas, then a rookie, led the team with six catches for 84 yards. That game also saw the Patriots bench Mac Jones on the final drive, with quarterback Bailey Zappe throwing a game-sealing interception following a fake spike. The Patriots are 3-2 all-time in international games, also losing to the Jaguars in London in 2024. Only three teams have played in more international games than the Patriots — the Jaguars (14), Miami Dolphins (7) and Minnesota Vikings (6). The Lions, meanwhile, have only played two international games in their history, edging the Atlanta Falcons in London in 2014 and losing to the Chiefs there in 2015. He’s no lock to make the 53-man roster, but the Patriots have one current player who was born in Germany in offensive tackle Lorenz Metz, a massive 6-foot-9, 310-pound prospect who is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program and was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the last two offseasons. And one of the most successful NFL players ever from Germany was Patriots offensive lineman Sebastian Vollmer, who won two Super Bowl rings with New England and made 80 starts for the Patriots between 2009 and 2015. Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis played every snap for the Bucs in their 2022 win in Munich, collecting four tackles, and he’s played for both of these teams in the last two seasons. He started 13 games for the Lions in 2024, then signed with the Patriots, starting every game last year in their path to a Super Bowl, getting two interceptions in the playoffs. Myles Adams, a defensive end who spent the last two years on Detroit’s practice squad and will compete for a roster spot this fall, played for the Seahawks in Munich in 2022, getting one tackle in the loss. Detroit’s offense ranked in the top five in scoring from 2022-24 and led the NFL in 2024 before Ben Johnson left to become the Chicago Bears’ head coach. They ranked fourth last year, averaging 28 points per game, and the Lions still moved on from offensive coordinator John Morton, hiring Drew Petzing. Petzing is only 39, and a successful season could make him a head coaching candidate as a sharp, young offensive mind. He grew up in New England, going to high school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, just west of Boston, during the Patriots’ heyday with three Super Bowls in four years under Tom Brady. He stayed in New England, playing in college in Middlebury and had his first coaching jobs at Harvard, Boston College and Yale. Detroit’s offense has some significant changes for 2026, with running back David Montgomery traded to the Texans and replaced by Isiah Pacheco, and moves on the offensive line. Pro Bowl tackle Penei Sewell is moving from right to left tackle, with free agent Cade Mays stepping in at center and first-round pick Blake Miller stepping in at right tackle. Second-year receiver Isaac TeSlaa could also emerge after getting six touchdown catches among his 16 receptions as a rookie. Maye just missed out on MVP honors as runner-up, but his emergence in his second NFL season was central in the Patriots’ amazing turnaround from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 and AFC champs. Maye threw for 31 touchdowns, more than doubling his rookie total, all while throwing only eight interceptions, two fewer than he did as a rookie. The Patriots paid $68 million to bring in receiver Romeo Doubs from the Packers, put a first-round pick into offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and added guard Alijah Vera-Tucker from the Jets in free agency as well. They should get improvement from two key rookies last year in offensive tackle Will Campbell and running back TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie and could take on a larger role in his second season. A potential trade for Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown also continues to linger. New England averaged 28 points per game in 2025, second-best in the NFL and a full 12 points a game better than it had the year before. Can the Patriots sustain that high level of play — or exceed it — with Maye’s continued growth?