The New England Patriots' Week 9 performance was a nightmare. Five Packers had career days, including both Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, who had career highs in receiving yards. The latter, primarily covered by Christian Gonzalez, had career highs in catches and targets as well.
After losing a second game to an NFC North opponent, the Patriots will take on their third game of the season in Germany this Sunday. New England flies to Munich to take on the 6-2 Lions.
While Dan Campbell's team turned their season around after a 2-2 start, they struggled to beat a gritty, rebuilding Dolphins squad. While New England's game against the Dolphins was also close, they were far from full strength.
The Lions largely were. If they struggle against the Patriots on Sunday, New England could find themselves 6-4 going into the bye.
The Lions struggled ahead of their Patriots matchup abroad
The Lions extended their winning streak to four in a row on Sunday, taking down the Dolphins by a score of 19-9. While their defense has been lagging behind all season, the Detroit offense has been the hallmark of their success. Hard Rock Stadium fielded a largely healthy Lions offense.
Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jameson Williams all played, but they didn't manage a touchdown until the end of the third quarter. On the contrary, the Patriots lost Hunter Henry during their Week 8 matchup and elevated Ryan Miller from the practice squad to operate as the team's WR4. They struggled early on, but finished the game with 24 points.
Goff has had a tremendous season so far, but the Patriots can take a page from Miami's book on limiting him, as the Vikings did the week prior. Weeks 8 and 9 were the first in which he had fewer than 200 passing yards, and his 170-yard total on Sunday was his lowest since Week 4 of last season. He also threw an interception for just the second time all year.
Additionally, Gibbs dropped under the century mark for the first time since Week 4. He was targeted just once and held without a catch. It marked the first time he was held without a catch since Week 4 of 2024. Furthermore, he rushed for just 3.7 YPC.
He did, however, score the game's sole touchdown.
St. Brown had 86 receiving yards, while LaPorta had a modest 32 yards from four catches. Williams managed just one catch on two targets, while a nine-yard rush brought his all-purpose yardage to 40.
The Patriots need to prioritize limiting Jahmyr GIbbs and Sam LaPorta
Based on the Lions' season thus far, two key factors in New England's success on Sunday are Gibbs and LaPorta. When the former has 99+ rushing yards, the offense averages 29.2 PPG and is 5-0. Sunday was the first time they won without Gibbs reaching that threshold.
LaPorta has been quiet over the last few games, and the Lions have averaged just 19.3 PPG over their last three. When he has 50+ yards, however, Detroit averages 34 PPG.
While the Lions' offense is among the best in the league, limiting Gibbs and LaPorta could destabilize Goff and the offense enough to limit them to 20 points or fewer, as their last three opponents have done.
If the Patriots can tick the win column in Germany, they'll head into a much-needed bye with a 6-4 record, while the Chargers will likely still be winless. While the Lions are an NFC opponent, this could be one of the most important morale-boosting games of the season.
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