New England Patriots eye critical playoff push in Munich

In sports news now, the Patriots face the Lions in Munich this Sunday, but this isn't the first time they've played in Germany. 22 News reporter Nick Antonakis cracks out the history books to take us back in Patriots history. Yeah, Julia, the 2023 season is a tragic tale that Pats fans know far too well. Take a listen. It's time for a Patriots history lesson. This week, they face the Detroit Lions in Munich in what's a pivotal Week 10 matchup in terms of their playoff hopes. But let's dial the clocks back to Week 10 of 2023, the last time that the Patriots played in Germany. The Pats fell to 2-8, losing to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, and a lot of things in New England just spiraled out of control. First, being Mac Jones' Patriots career. The former first-round quarterback got benched for Bailey Zappi after throwing an egregious interception in the red zone with under five minutes to go in a 10-6 game. Jones was permanently benched for the rest of the year and then got traded in the offseason. Oh, but things didn't get any better when Bailey Zappi became the starter. Against the Colts, he threw a horrible pick that ended the game and went on to win just two of his seven starts. That awful Germany game was also reportedly the final nail in the coffin in Robert Kraft's decision to part ways with Bill Belichick, with Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston saying, after the international embarrassment, Kraft's mind was made up. And at the season's end... That's exactly what happened. Now, of course, the Pats are in a way better spot now than they were in that dumpster fire that was the 2023 season. But they got to be careful. A slip-up could cause a spiral out of control. Following a terrible loss to the Packers last week, realistically, the Pats are going to need to win 10 games to make the playoffs. After the bye, they only have seven more games. Chargers, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs, Jets. Broncos and Dolphins. If New England can beat the Lions this week and only have to win four of those last seven games instead of five, it could mean a lot for their late-season playoff push and could potentially boost fans' confidence against some of those tough teams that are on the slate. According to NFL.com, a Patriots win this week boosts their playoff odds to 70%, while a loss drops them to 47%. So could the Pats right their wrongs in Germany this week or could they be subject to another nightmare? Kickoff is Sunday morning at 9:30. Now, of course, we'll have this story on our social media accounts as well. We want to hear from you. Drop a comment. What do you think is going to happen on Sunday? Working for you, Nick Antonakis, 22 News.