New England Patriots Reveal Travel Plans For Germany
In the midst of a miserable season, the New England Patriots may be relieved to see a change of scenery this week.
On Sunday morning, the Patriots will take on the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany, marking their first game in the country and fourth international game overall.
This is obviously uncharted waters for New England, but the road map ahead is clear. During his weekly interview on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show, Patriots coach Bill Belichick detailed the team's plans for their first trip to Germany.
Patriots QB Mac Jones makes a throw during a 2021 game against the Colts.
AP Photo/Aaron Doster
"Quite different [than a normal week]," Belichick said. "We'll leave Thursday after practice, lose the time going over there and show up Friday morning. We've done it before on trips to London, so same general idea. We'll have to adjust to it just like the Colts have to make the adjustment. It is what it is."
Obviously, traveling across six time zones won't be easy for the Patriots, or their opponent for that matter. That said, Belichick didn't place too much emphasis on the inevitable jet lag his team will face.
"The schedule changes in this league. Thursday games, Europe games, Monday night games ... Those variances in the schedule, they are what they are," Belichick told reporters Monday.
The Patriots have played in three international games before and won all of them. In London, they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 in 2009 and the then-St. Louis Rams 45-7 in 2012. Their most recent international game took place in Mexico City in 2017, when they stomped the then-Oakland Raiders 33-8.
However, this Patriots team is very different from those in years past. At 2-7, New England finds itself at the bottom of the AFC for the first time in forever, and questions about Belichick's job security have swirled throughout the season. In typical Belichick fashion, though, he didn't pay much mind to those concerns right now.
"I'm going to control what I can control and get ready for the Colts," Belichick said.
