The New England Patriots have quite a bit to prove as they prepare for their Week 10 game in Munich against the high-powered Detroit Lions.
Strategically, the Patriots could be facing an opponent that will attack in a similar manner to the way the Green Bay Packers did in Week 9. The Packers had little trouble throwing over the top of the New England defense and recording a 45-27 victory over the home team.
The Lions have a quarterback in Jared Goff who will also attack through the air with wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and speedster Jameson Williams doing most of the damage. Additionally, the Lions have a far more effective running attack than the Packers did, so Detroit is likely to unleash a two-pronged attack on the Patriots that could be very difficult to defend.
If New England is going to have a better chance of winning this game than the Patriots did a week ago against the Packers, cornerback Christian Gonzalez is going to have a much more effective game than he did against the Packers. That will be a challenge.
The Patriots may need to control the clock and make big plays of their own, but that could be a major challenge due to the injuries that head coach Mike Vrabel's team is battling on the offensive side of the ball.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson battling illness and injury situation
TreVeyon Henderson is battling a mysterious neurological illness that will keep him out of the lineup against the Lions. He is the Patriots' most athletic and fastest running back. When he is healthy, he gives the offense a chance to break long plays on the ground. He had been struggling with a high ankle sprain prior to his illness, and the Patriots are not sure when he will be back in the lineup.
The root cause of the Henderson illness is not known, nor do the Patriots know when he will be back in the lineup.
Stevenson injured his knee in the loss to the Packers, and he was limited in practice both Thursday and Friday. He is listed as questionable for Sunday's game, but he is the kind of player who will have an impact in the game if he can play.
Stevenson is the Patriots' leading ground gainer with 102 carries for 399 yards with 2 TDs. He is averaging 3.9 yards per carry. While Stevenson does not have explosive numbers, he is Vrabel's most dependable offensive player other than quarterback Drake Maye. He is also a key factor in Maye's passing attack. He has caught 26 of 31 targets for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Patriots will be at a hardship if Stevenson can't play against the Lions.
Backups Corey Kiner and Lan Larison are likely to take over the RB chores if Stevenson is not going to play. Kiner has 50 carries for 244 yards with 1 TD. He is averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Larison has just 3 carries for 10 yards to this point in the season.
A.J. Brown may be back in the lineup to upgrade the passing game
The Patriots acquired A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles during a trade last June. The thought at the time was that Brown would become the primary weapon for Maye in the New England passing game. Brown had been one of the top receivers in the league while with the Eagles, but it has not worked out to this point for the Patriots in large part because of injuries.
Brown has played in just three games for the Patriots and his numbers are completely underwhelming. He has just 9 receptions for 101 yards and he has not gotten into the end zone yet.
Brown could exploit Detroit's secondary
Brown has been out with ankle and knee issues, but he could be back in the lineup against the Lions. He has been limited in practice throughout the week and he is listed as questionable by the Patriots.
Brown could be a huge factor if he can come back for this game, because the Lions pass defense is vulnerable. That unit ranks 26th in Expected Points Added (EPA) per dropback, and that's because the Lions don't have the kind of personnel that can limit a top receiver like Brown.
Vrabel is hopeful that Brown will play against the Lions.
“I think the more that we can get everybody back, the more that it contributes to what we feel like we want to be as a team,” Vrabel said, per Chad Graff of The Athletic. “One guy certainly doesn’t make the difference, but the more that we get guys back, that’s exciting. The pieces can start to build and come together.”