The Detroit Lions head overseas in Week 10 with a 6-2 record, and they’ll meet a New England Patriots team that’s trying to steady itself after a rough stretch. The game is set for Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. EST in Munich, Germany.
Detroit comes in off a 19-9 win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 9. New England, meanwhile, enters at 5-4 after getting knocked around 45-27 by Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers. The Patriots have now dropped two of their last three, including a Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears.
Even with that wobble, New England still has plenty of firepower. Under center, third-year quarterback Drake Maye has put up 18 touchdowns and 2,282 passing yards through nine games, though he also leads the league with 11 interceptions. His last outing was a tough one: three picks against Green Bay, along with a season-low 55.3 percent completion rate.
Maye’s most reliable target has been veteran tight end Hunter Henry, who has 32 catches for 361 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Patriots have leaned on sixth-year running back Rhamondre Stevenson, a former fourth-round pick who has 399 rushing yards, two scores and a 3.9 yards-per-carry average.
Defensively, New England has gotten strong play from EDGE defenders Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder, along with cornerback Carlton Davis III and linebacker Christian Elliss. Ponder, now in his second season, has already piled up 7.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, 13 QB hits and even a fumble return touchdown. His work has earned him a 75.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks 23rd among 110 qualified players at the position.
But the Patriots will be short-handed in this one. Davis is out with a knee injury, starting left guard Ben Brown is also sidelined with a knee issue, and Stevenson is expected to miss the game after suffering a plantaris tendon tear against the Packers. That’s a heavy hit for a team already dealing with inconsistency.
Detroit has injury concerns of its own. The Lions will be without linebacker Jack Campbell (neck), center Cade Mays (ankle), cornerback D.J. Reed (hip), and safety Kerby Joseph, who has yet to play a game in 2026 and won’t make his season debut in Germany.
Both teams are banged up, but the matchup still tilts toward Detroit. At this point, the Lions are given a 59 percent chance to win and push their streak to five straight.
In Other News...
Lions Just Put More Pressure On Two Unproven Defensive Backs
The Lions passed on adding a cornerback at the trade deadline, sticking with the group they have and leaving Khalil Dorsey and Keith Abney II in line for more important snaps. It is a vote of confidence in a defense that has looked sharper since shifting from zone to man coverage, with those two helping stabilize key situations as the staff sorted through its options.
Now the pressure shifts to whether that internal bet holds up when the schedule gets tougher. Detroit clearly believes its current approach can keep working, but without an outside addition, the margin for error at cornerback gets thinner fast, and the next stretch will show whether Dorsey and Abney can keep answering the call. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Offense Is About To Test A Patriots Weakness
Jared Goffs practice week has been worth watching as the Lions get ready to meet the Patriots in Munich, but the quarterback is still expected to be available. That matters because Detroits offense comes into the matchup with real punch, led by Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and it is the kind of unit that can force a defense to answer early and often.
For New England, the trip overseas adds another layer to a game already carrying pressure after a rough defensive showing last time out. The Patriots are trying to tighten things up after allowing 45 points in their previous game, and now they draw a Detroit attack that has enough speed and playmaking to expose any lingering issues. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Rookie Pass Rush Gets Another Big Test Against New England
The Lions defense has started to look more like the group Detroit expected, with the last four weeks bringing a noticeable step forward and the Miami Dolphins game standing out as the clearest example. Aidan Hutchinson has continued to anchor the front, and the overall pass rush has been a big reason the unit has tightened up after an uneven start.
Derrick Moore has become part of that conversation after flashing the kind of disruption the Lions have been waiting for from the rookie. He is heading into the New England matchup with a chance to build on that momentum, and coach Dan Campbell has made it clear the next step is seeing Moore turn those early signs into more consistent impact as his reps keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]