Detroit Lions draw defending AFC champion Patriots for Munich matchup
Allen Park — We’ve known the Detroit Lions were heading to Germany for months — and had safely anticipated the international trip dating back to last year. After learning the time and date of the matchup earlier this week, we now know the opponent.
The NFL will deliver a marquee matchup in Munich with the Lions set to battle the defending AFC champion New England Patriots. The game will be held Nov. 15 at Allianz Arena and broadcast on Fox at 9:30 a.m. locally.
The Patriots are coming off a remarkable worst-to-first turnaround in 2025, fueled by a stellar defense and the play of quarterback Drake Maye, the MVP runner-up in his second season.
After winning just four games each of the previous two seasons, the Patriots rattled off 13 wins last in 2025, claiming the AFC East for the first time since 2019. They went on to defeat the Chargers, Texans and Broncos in the postseason before falling to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, was exceptional in his second year. He led the NFL, completing 72.0% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. That added up to a 113.5 passer rating and 77.1 QBR, both league bests.
Notably, the Patriots receiving corps will look different in 2026. The team released Stefon Diggs, signed former Packers standout Romeo Doubs, and continued to be linked to a potential trade for Eagles three-time Pro Bowler AJ Brown, which could supercharge an offense that finished second in scoring a year ago.
The Patriots have also been navigating some offseason turmoil with head coach Mike Vrabel. Reporting is ongoing regarding an alleged multi-year affair with reporter Dianna Russini.
This is the second of Detroit’s 17 regular season games that’s been finalized, along with a Week 2 Thursday night matchup in Buffalo. The full NFL schedule will be released Thursday night at 8 p.m.