The last night before Patriots-Lions in Munich belonged to the beer halls. Mike Vrabel tapped a keg and rang the bell at the Patriots’ fan home, Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp did the same at the Hofbräuhaus, and Calvin Johnson and Barry Sanders turned up in the city as Detroit fans filled the old town. Amon-Ra St. Brown and his parents took the Fan Fest stage before Big Sean’s show, and the Lions settled on their uniforms for Sunday. Kickoff at FC Bayern’s stadium is 3:30 p.m. local time, 9:30 a.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. in Cairo. The first half of Saturday is in day six.
Vrabel was the surprise keg tapper
The Patriots had promised that a surprise Super Bowl champion would tap the first keg at “Boston in Bavaria,” their fan party at the Augustiner Stammhaus on Neuhauser Straße. It turned out to be the head coach. Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a Patriots linebacker, tapped the keg to cheers and then rang the bell. One fan at the party said a group of Lions fans wandered in to join it, too. Former Patriots Troy Brown, Brian Hoyer and Stephen Gostkowski, who had meet-and-greets with fans this week, were later seen in a Munich pub.
Mike Vrabel taps the keg and rings the bell at the Augustiner Stammhaus. Video by Ben Volin.
Sheila Ford Hamp at the Hofbräuhaus: “a blue wave”
A few hours earlier, the Lions’ owner tapped a keg inside the Hofbräuhaus, the team’s official fan pub this week, surrounded by Lions fans and members of the Ford family. Brad Galli called the beer hall “the epicenter of Detroit’s temporary football home.” Hamp predicted Lions fans would take over the stadium. “I think it’s going to be a blue wave. For sure,” she said. “I was actually looking for Patriots fans today, just out of curiosity. I think I saw two.” Barry Sanders, who was on the Fan Fest schedule for 4:30 p.m., also took a turn at a Hofbräuhaus keg.
Sheila Ford Hamp taps a keg at the Hofbräuhaus. Video by Brad Galli.
Hamp on the Lions fans in Munich. Video by Brad Galli.
Megatron in Munich
Calvin Johnson was the other Lions legend in town on Saturday night. The club posted a short clip of the Hall of Fame receiver in Munich, and fans who traveled with a tour group shared video of him tapping a keg of his own at a private event in a German palace. Lomas Brown, the Lions’ former left tackle, spent part of the day at a community event in the city, and the team’s Fan Fest wrapped up its second and final day at Odeonsplatz.
Calvin Johnson in Munich on Saturday. Video by the Lions.
Lomas Brown at a community event in Munich. Video by the Lions.
The St. Brown family takes the stage
The biggest moment of Fan Fest came before the music. St. Brown, whose mother, Miriam, is German, jumped on stage with his parents to talk to thousands of fans. Galli’s report showed the rest of the scene: Detroit and local food trucks, from a Mom’s Spaghetti stand to German sausage, plus Ford Field games and activities. Big Sean then played his free show, and the Detroit rapper worked a playful shot at the Patriots into one of his lines, which the crowd loved.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and his parents at the Lions’ Fan Fest. Video by Brad Galli.
Galli also met Michael Paye, a Michigan native and two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball who now lives in Germany, and who was thrilled to see his Lions in Munich.
Michael Paye, a Paralympic champion and Lions fan, in Munich. Video by Brad Galli.
Blue and silver for Sunday
The Lions will wear their blue jerseys with silver pants. Justin Rogers reported that Dan Campbell made the call on that combination before the season. Campbell has kept the focus on winning, but he said he understands the moment: “To be able to come out with our guys and do this, you want to always remember this, and make it special that way.” The Lions also posted video from their last win abroad, a 22-21 comeback over Atlanta at Wembley in 2014, when they trailed 21-0 at halftime and Matt Prater won it with a 48-yard field goal at the end.
The Lions’ uniforms for Munich. Photo posted by Brad Galli.
The Patriots finalized their roster on Saturday, activating Greg Van Roten and Reggie Gilliam from injured reserve and placing TreVeyon Henderson on IR; the Lions elevated linebacker Owen Pappoe. The details are in Saturday’s transactions. The league’s German account also showed the stadium’s freshly prepared field on Saturday afternoon, ready for its third regular-season game.
The field at FC Bayern’s stadium on Saturday. Video by NFL Deutschland.
Game day in Munich
The fan zone and stadium campus open at 12:30 p.m. local time. Inactives are due about 90 minutes before kickoff, around 2 p.m. in Munich. Drew Baldridge sings the U.S. anthem, LaBrassBanda plays the German anthem, and Cage The Elephant has the halftime show. The forecast is dry and cool, around 7 degrees Celsius at kickoff, and the sun sets at about 4:35 p.m.
| Sunday | Munich | ET | Cairo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fan zone opens | 12:30 p.m. | 6:30 a.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| Inactives (approx.) | 2 p.m. | 8 a.m. | 3 p.m. |
| Kickoff, Patriots (5-4) vs. Lions (6-2) | 3:30 p.m. | 9:30 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. |
| Sunset | About 4:35 p.m. | 10:35 a.m. | 5:35 p.m. |
The Lions are going for a fifth straight win. The Patriots, coming off a 45-27 loss to Green Bay, have their bye next week. Our interactive preview breaks down the matchup.
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