The Patriots (5-4) and the Lions (6-2) kick off on Sunday, November 15, at 3:30 p.m. in Munich. That is 9:30 a.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. in Cairo. Detroit is the designated home team.

It is the sixth regular-season game played in Germany and the third at Bayern Munich’s stadium. It is also the Lions’ first game in the country. The Patriots arrived on Thursday morning, about 78 hours before kickoff. The Lions landed on Friday morning, about 48 hours before.

The Patriots have not lost two games in a row all season, and they have won three straight only once, in Weeks 4 through 6. They have scored 211 points and allowed 207, a margin of plus-4. They won at Buffalo in Week 4 and scored 45 against Las Vegas, but they also lost 35-6 at Jacksonville and 45-27 at home to Green Bay last Sunday.

Patriots’ margin, week by week

The biggest problem is the ball. New England has 19 giveaways and eight takeaways, a turnover margin of minus-11. Drake Maye has thrown 11 interceptions to go with 18 touchdown passes.

The Lions started 2-2, and they gave up 30 or more points in three of those four games, including a 41-31 loss at Buffalo and a 32-26 loss at Carolina. Since then they have won four straight, and the points allowed have gone down every week: 21 at Arizona, 17 against Green Bay, 15 against Minnesota and 9 in Miami last Sunday.

Points allowed by Detroit

Jared Goff and Maye have almost the same volume. Goff has thrown 273 passes and Maye 272. The difference is the interceptions: Goff has two all season, and Maye has 11.

Touchdown passes and interceptions

Goff, who had a chest injury on the report earlier in the week, practiced fully on Thursday and Friday and has no game status. He also has a history with this opponent. He was the Rams’ quarterback when they lost Super Bowl LIII to the Patriots.

Amon-Ra St. Brown’s mother, Miriam, is German. He spent summers in Germany as a kid, played for Germany’s under-19 national team and runs youth camps there every year. Sunday is his first NFL game in the country. He opened his news conference in Munich in German.

He is questionable with a rib injury after being limited in practice all week.

Detroit’s offense also runs through Jahmyr Gibbs, who has 847 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns on 177 carries. The Lions average 27.8 points a game, to the Patriots’ 23.4.

Both teams are without starters. Detroit left three of them at home, and New England ruled out three more before the flight.

1. Lions: outSafety Kerby Joseph (knee), cornerback D.J. Reed (hip) and center Cade Mays (ankle). None of them made the trip.
2. Lions: questionableAmon-Ra St. Brown (rib) and running back Sione Vaki (ankle).
3. Patriots: outRunning back TreVeyon Henderson (illness), cornerback Carlton Davis III (knee) and left guard Ben Brown (knee).
4. Patriots: questionableNine players, including A.J. Brown (ankle, knee) and Rhamondre Stevenson (knee), who were both limited on Thursday and Friday.
5. No statusGoff (chest), Brian Branch (hip), Maye (right shoulder), Hunter Henry (foot) and Morgan Moses (foot).

The teams have played four of the same opponents this season, and each is 3-1 against them. New England won at Buffalo, where Detroit lost by 10. Detroit beat Green Bay, which scored 45 on New England last week.

Margins against common opponents

1. Nov. 23, 2014Patriots 34, Lions 9, in Foxborough.
2. Sept. 23, 2018Lions 26, Patriots 10, in Detroit, with Matt Patricia coaching against Bill Belichick.
3. Feb. 3, 2019Goff’s Rams lose Super Bowl LIII to the Patriots, 13-3.
4. Oct. 9, 2022Patriots 29, Lions 0, in Foxborough, the last meeting.

New England is 3-1 in games outside the United States. Detroit is 1-1, both in London. Neither team has won in Germany: the Patriots lost their only game there, in Frankfurt in 2023.

1. Oct. 26, 2014Lions 22, Falcons 21, in London.
2. Nov. 1, 2015Chiefs 45, Lions 10, in London.
3. Oct. 25, 2009Patriots 35, Buccaneers 7, in London.
4. Oct. 28, 2012Patriots 45, Rams 7, in London.
5. Nov. 19, 2017Patriots 33, Raiders 8, in Mexico City.
6. Nov. 12, 2023Colts 10, Patriots 6, in Frankfurt.

The five NFL regular-season games in Germany so far: Buccaneers 21, Seahawks 16 in Munich (2022); Chiefs 21, Dolphins 14 and Colts 10, Patriots 6 in Frankfurt (2023); Panthers 20, Giants 17 in Munich (2024); and Colts 31, Falcons 25 in Berlin (2025).

A Lions win would move them to 7-2, the record Chicago has now at the top of the NFC North. Detroit then hosts Tampa Bay on November 22 and Chicago on Thanksgiving. New England, second in the AFC East behind 7-1 Buffalo, has its bye next and then visits the Chargers on November 29.