Hallo, Foxboro: Patriots Early Favorites for 2023 Germany Game?
Ich bin ein ... New Englander?
A report from NBC Sports hints that the New England Patriots could head overseas to play an NFL game in 2023. Peter King claims that the team is among the favorites to serve as a home team in the future German slate part of the NFL International Series.
Former Patriot Tom Brady partook in the NFL's maiden regular season voyage to Germany on Sunday, guiding his Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 21-16 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Munich.
The report indicates that the Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs are fan favorites in Deutschland, which is set to host at least one NFL regular season game through 2025. While Allianz Arena, home of Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga (the premier association football/soccer league in Germany), hosted the Seattle-Tampa Bay game, scheduling conflicts could move a potential Patriots' game to Frankfurt.
Further cementing the Patriots as a prime host for German endeavors is their status as one of four teams (along with Kansas City, Carolina, and Tampa Bay) to be situated in Germany as part of the International Home Marketing Areas initiative. Germany has hosted several American football teams in the past, including the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World Football League/NFL Europe.
New England is one of three teams (along with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants) to be undefeated in international regular season games with a minimum of three appearances. Their last game away from American soil came in October 2017, when they topped the Oakland Raiders 33-8 at Estadio Azteca. The Mexico City soccer cathedral is set to host this season's final international game on Monday night when the Arizona Cardinals take on the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC West battle.
Prior European endeavors for the Patriots include a 2009 win over Tampa Bay and a 2012 triumph against the St. Louis Rams, both coming at London's Wembley Stadium. New England was the designated road team on both occasions. The Patriots also embarked upon business trips to Canada for exhibition games (1969, 1990, 1993) and were slated to be part of the NFL's first game in China in 2007 prior to its cancelation.
In more pressing, domestic affairs, the Patriots (5-4) return to action on Sunday when they face the New York Jets at home (1 p.m. ET, CBS).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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