The Draftermath: Optimism in Foxborough
The matchup may not be what it once was during the heyday of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning, the greatest QB rivalry of all time. But the backdrop for the latest installment of Colts vs. Patriots should be pretty spektakulär…even if it’s not with the fancy new lighthouse and video board at Gillette Stadium.
In the latest installment of the NFL’s International Series, taking games from the states offshore and overseas to Europe in an effort to develop a global appreciation of America’s favorite game, the New England Patriots will play host to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany, with kickoff set for 9:30 a.m. ET.
And what a spieltag (gameday) it will be from The Waldstadion, better known as Deutsche Bank Park, which holds approximately 50,000 spectators. The venue, which is almost 100 years old, features a retractable roof and has hosted many prominent soccer matches this century. Now, it will play host to a first-year coach in Indy’s Shane Steichen challenging possibly the greatest coach of all time in Bill Belichick. The 2011 Women’s World Cup Final had nothing on Mac Jones vs. Gardner Minshew, or maybe Anthony Richardson.
Owner Robert Kraft expressed his excitement over the Pats traveling to Germany, home of one of the most active Patriots fan clubs in the world, when he announced the team would play overseas in January. Kraft has been active in many ways when it comes to expanding the league’s reach, and this represents another way the NFL seeks to become a global commodity.
This game represents the first time the Patriots will play a game overseas since 2012, when the Pats rolled the St. Louis Rams 45-7 from London’s Wembley Stadium. Their last international game was at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, where the Pats smoked the Oakland Raiders, 33-8. They also won their first international affair, a lopsided 35-7 affair against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October of 2009, also from Wembley Stadium. Suffice to say they’ve had their fair share of success outside the states.
Pats vs. Colts is a quality rivalry, with the teams splitting their games this decade since Tom Brady took his talents elsewhere. The game in Indianapolis on Dec. 18, 2021 was an entertaining affair that saw the Colts pull away late on a Jonathan Taylor TD run. The 2022 affair was hardly much of a competitive contest, with Sam Ehlinger getting overwhelmed by the Pats D in Foxboro.
While fans abroad and those traveling can’t be promised the kind of clash we were treated to annually from 2001-15 with Brady vs. Manning or even Brady vs. Luck, we can hope for a better overall product. If nothing else the crowd should make things memorable, as last season’s Buccaneers vs. Seahawks game in Munich was described by Tom Brady as “one of the great football experiences that I’ve ever had.” While the Pats may be chasing what they once had with Brady, let’s hope a continuation of the rivalry with Indy from a fabulous international backdrop will provide for great spectacle and unterhaltung (entertainment) for all!
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