The Patriots Will Play in Germany in 2023

Source - The National Football League (NFL) today announced there will be two 2023 International Games in Germany next season. The Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots will make their debuts in Germany as designated teams, following the inaugural international game in Munich in 2022.

Destination cities for the two games will be announced later this year, with the NFL previously confirming that Munich and Frankfurt will stage games in Germany over the next four years. ...

Details of the dates, matchups and kickoff times will be confirmed later in the year. ...

"We are thrilled to be selected to play in Germany this year," said Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft. "We are undefeated in our three previous international games, thanks in part to the outstanding support from our fans. We know that some of our most passionate fans reside in Germany, and we look forward to finally playing a game there. We know the fans will create an amazing atmosphere. We are sure it will be a memorable experience and one of the highlights of the 2023 season."

I'm loathe to give the NFL credit for anything. I should be arguing that these international games are a cynical money grab and a major disruption to the teams involved. Not to mention a colossal pain to fans of said teams because it means getting up at some ungodly hour on game day. Which stretches a nice, normal NFL Sunday lasting a tidy 11 or so hours into a 16 hour slog. But I can't hate this. Knowing nothing else about what the 2023 regular season schedule will look like, you already know this will be a highlight for many reasons. 

One, to echo what Mr. Kraft said, the Patriots have a big following in Europe. I don't know the numbers, but if you told me they have more fan clubs with larger memberships than any other NFL team, I wouldn't argue with you. Owing to the fact that they've been the epicenter of pro football during this whole international initiative by the league and gotten most of the attention. Enhanced by the fact they drafted Sebastian Vollmer and made him their starting right tackle for a decade.  And solidified when they signed Jakob Johnson out of the International Player's Pathway Program. I'll assume Johnson will be otherwise occupied that day throwing lead blocks for the Raiders. But making Vollmer an honorary team captain is absolute no-brainer. And the locals in the crowd will eat it up. 

Second, like he also said, Pats fans travel like no other fanbase in the league. Every year there is at least one road game where they do a total takeover. This past season, as predicted, it was the Las Vegas game. Which made this all the more humiliating:

Massholes have successfully invaded Wembley twice and Mexico City once. And it's impossible to imagine Germany won't be the game that gets circled once the schedule comes out. If it's during Oktoberfest, we'll drink the country dry. 

Which leads us straight to the final point. These international games have played right into New England's hands. I don't mind giving up a home game when they take home on the road with them, so to speak. In their previous three of these games, they've won by scores of: 

• 35-7 over Tampa Bay, Oct. 25, 2009 (UK)
• 45-7 over St. Louis, Oct. 28, 2012 (UK)
• 33-8 over Oakland, Nov. 19, 2017 (MC)

That's a combined score of 113-22, or just about 38-7 per game. Whatever it takes for a coach to prepare his team for the challenges of playing American tackle football on foreign soil thousands of miles from home, Belichick has it mastered. When they get around to putting a football field on Elon Musk's Mars colony, bet the Patriots and the over. (Wager responsibly. 1-800-GAMBLER.)

As a side note, at the risk of offending our future hosts, basically it's been a huge success anytime Patriots have landed in Germany. By kickoff, we'll have just passed the 79th anniversary of the last time Patriots took on an opponent on German soil. And we can all agree that one went as well as anybody could've hoped. 

Personally, I'm not normally predisposed to going to games at all. Road games especially, I just find I can better serve my employers and the millions of loyal Stoolies who keep the lights on at Stately Thornton Manor by staying home and writing from the POV of the guy on his couch. But I took three years of German in high school that hasn't come in handy one, single time while living in eastern Massachusetts. The more I think about it, the more I believe this game might be the culmination of the journey I've been all along, without knowing it. I'm not insisting I be honorary co-captain with Vollmer. But I would be able to speak the language like a native. A native who hasn't spoken a word of it in decades. So thanks in advance, NFL. This could be the NFL Sunday of a lifetime. Danke schoen.