NFL Schedule Sneak Peek: Patriots Germany Game Opponent Revealed
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots will be ‘hosting’ an old rival their first NFL game in Europe in over a decade.
The NFL officially announced on Wednesday that the Pats will play their Week 10 regular season home game in Frankfurt, Germany on Nov. 12 against the Indianapolis Colts.
The game will be the Patriots’ first in Germany as part of the 2023 NFL International Games. The game will be played at 3:30 p.m. in Frankfurt — 9:30 a.m. EST, in the U.S.
New England’s matchup with its longtime rival should be highly anticipated. Their showdowns during the 2000s produced some of the decade’s most memorable moments, at the height of the rivalry between quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Historically, the teams have met each other 83 times, including five postseason games — with New England holds a 53-30 advantage.
“Germany has some of the most passionate sports fans in the world and has always been an international leader in enthusiasm for American football and the NFL,” said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft through Patriots Media Relations. “I’m thrilled to play a home game in this new market and to continue to build upon our team’s long history and engagement with German fans. Our goal is to connect with fans at the local level and I look forward to expanding that fan base and fostering additional relationships and opportunities for partnership in Germany as well as Austria and Switzerland.”
For the Patriots, this game in Germany will mark their first visit to Europe since 2012, when they defeated the then-St. Louis Rams 45-7 at London’s Wembley Stadium. In total, the club has played three games on international soil. Along with their 2012 victory over St. Louis, the Patriots also won their previous matchup in London in 2009 (a 35-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), as well as earning a 33-8 victory over the then-Oakland Raiders at Estadio Azteca in Mexico during 2017.
In 2021, the Patriots were awarded Germany as an official “home market” through the International Home Marketing Area (IHMA) initiative which has allowed the team to grow its fan base abroad and develop additional opportunities for marketing, fan engagement and business development. Last month, the Patriots were awarded Austria and Switzerland as official “home markets,” in addition to Germany.
New England, along with the rest of the NFL will reveal the rest of their 2023 schedule on Thursday.
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