Patriots vs. Lions: Three must-know storylines for NFL Week 10 Munich game

After up-and-down starts to their seasons, New England and Detroit are headed to Bavaria this weekend for Novemberfest.

The NFL's return to Munich for a third game -- after last year's Germany tilt took place in Berlin -- pits two of the NFL's top quarterbacks, piloting playoff contenders with plenty to prove heading into the second half of the 2026 season.

Jared Goff's Lions have returned to form in 2026 after missing the playoffs last year, dropping just two of their first eight games while fielding another top-five offense. But it hasn't been easy sledding for Dan Campbell's Detroit side. The injury-riddled defense has been a feast-or-famine outfit, worst in the NFL in defending the pass but top three in sacks. The unit is improving, having returned Brian Branch and just acquired Andre Cisco to shore up the secondary, though it sorely misses Jack Campbell, who continues to recover from a neck injury suffered in Week 8.

The Patriots are dealing with a slew of notable injuries of their own amid a midseason slump, but they are slowly getting healthier. New England has lost two of its last three -- scraping by Miami in the lone win -- falling multiple games behind Buffalo in the AFC East. Ahead of a Week 11 bye, the Pats are hoping an international trip will set them up for a late-season surge as they sit on the edge of the wild-card race. New England can become the fourth franchise with at least four international wins with a victory Sunday.

Both Detroit and New England are among the NFL clubs who boast marketing rights in Germany, making this weekend's meeting a battle for hearts and minds among Deutsche fans.

At the home of perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, can either the Lions or Patriots stake a claim as a legitimate title contender?

Three must-know storylines

1) A different Detroit

The Lions defense that got excoriated by Kelvin Sheppard early in the season is no more. The unit has evolved into a unit to be trusted ... at least against lesser opponents. Detroit's D has allowed just 15.5 points per game in its last four outings after yielding 31.8 ppg and league-worst figures in total D (423.8 ypg) and third-down D (52.8%) in Weeks 1-4. It's the first time since 2016 that a Lions team has surrendered 21 points or fewer in four straight games within a season, keying the current four-game win streak. Disregard that three of those wins came against Arizona, Minnesota and Miami, three of the seven worst scoring offenses in the NFL. New England presents a different challenge, but will Detroit's D travel overseas? MVP candidate Jared Goff and the Lions offense likely will; the talent across the board transcends second levels and language barriers with equal aplomb. In his first international effort, Jahmyr Gibbs is particularly set up to show out. The league leader in touches, scrimmage yards and total TDs, Gibbs should see a lot of action on routes out of the backfield against a Pats defense that holds its own against the run but has been suspect -- to say the least -- against the pass. As long as Detroit can score points like it was before its bye -- the Lions haven't eclipsed 20 points since Week 5 -- its improved defense can carry the day.

2) Can patched-up Patriots hang?

New England doesn't have all of its horses for Sunday's game against the Lions. A mysterious condition has sidelined TreVeyon Henderson, while Rhamondre Stevenson is questionable with a knee injury. A.J. Brown made the trip but may not play again, while Romeo Doubs is on injured reserve. Starting guard Ben Brown and cornerback Carlton Davis didn't even travel to Munich. Drake Maye's surrounding cast is in a much worse way than it was during the Pats' surprise Super Bowl run in 2025, forcing the QB to try to do it all this season. It's resulted in highly volatile play from Maye (six games with at least three TDs, tied for league-worst 13 giveaways). The QB thrives when he can hold on to the ball for at least four seconds, but Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions are kings of the jungle when it comes to getting pressure on signal-callers. Can the likes of Hunter Henry, Corey Kiner, Efton Chism III, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas be winning outlets for Maye in Munich? Or will last season's MVP runner-up be lost in a Bavarian forest without his top talent?

3) Will St. Brown, Lions expose Gonzalez, Pats in WR's "homecoming"?

Two months after becoming the highest-paid cornerback in league history, Christian Gonzalez had his worst day in the NFL on a big-time stage. His historically terrible, no-good, very bad day against Christian Watson and Matthew Golden (each had at least 80 yards against him) was one of the most watched NFL broadcasts of the season. Playing in an exclusive window this weekend, will Gonzalez bounce back or get beat downfield again? Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown will be licking their chops. St. Brown, especially, will look to have a momentous day. The son of a German mother, Amon-Ra is fluent in the language, and one of the ambassadors of the league's entrée into the country in this decade. This will serve as his very first game played in his mother's land, a perfect showcase of an expression of his self and his play and "a match made in heaven," according to the NFL's Germany GM. A focal point of Detroit's attack, St. Brown currently has 61 receptions and 657 receiving yards, with both totals eclipsing those of the Patriots' top two leading WRs combined (DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism III). Awaiting him is Gonzalez and a beleaguered New England defensive backfield. Will St. Brown and Co. relish the moment and fry Gonzalez and the Pats secondary into a fine schnitzel?