Jahmyr Gibbs was unstoppable and Amon-Ra St Brown starred on his German homecoming as the Detroit Lions torched the Drake Maye-less New England Patriots 35-10 at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Sunday.
Gibbs finished with 252 yards and two touchdowns from scrimmage, including 153 rushing yards and 99 through the air, while St Brown – born to a German mother – recorded four catches for 98 yards and two scores to reward his hero’s welcome in Europe.
New England’s offense capitulated after the opening drive of the game when Drake Maye suffered an ankle injury before being replaced by Tommy DeVito at quarterback.
DeVito struggled to move the ball as he finished 12 of 24 for 81 yards, one touchdown and one interception while being sacked four times. Lions quarterback Jared Goff was 20 of 31 for 303 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
It marked the penultimate game of a record nine international matchups in 2026 as the league prepares to conclude its road-trip in Mexico City next Sunday.
The result lifted Detroit to 7-2 on the year amid their Super Bowl charge, while dropping the Patriots to 5-5 as they continue their bid to swerve a hangover from February’s season-finale loss to Seattle.
The Patriots lost Maye to injury on the opening drive when he landed awkwardly during a drive-ending sack from Aidan Hutchinson, which saw Andy Borregales kick a 33-yard field goal.
Lions edge rusher Hutchinson also limped off in the aftermath of the play, having injured his knee while celebrating the sack, with his ailment feared to be significant enough to keep him out for the season, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
The German-speaking St Brown, whose mother is from Leverkusen, then put Detroit in control with a 56-yard touchdown catch-and-run to mark his emotional homecoming.
St Brown’s mother Miriam would take her son and his brothers back to Germany to see their grandparents each summer during their childhood, with the Lions receiver having represented the German national team in the sophomore year of high school and sat his SATs in English, German and French. St Brown has also returned to Germany regularly to host football camps, and wears the German flag on his helmet.
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Amon-Ra St Brown scores a stunning 56-yard TD in Munich for the Detroit Lions
The Lions bolstered their advantage through a 12-yard touchdown catch from Isaac TesLaa, who swivelled his hips superbly to make a back-peddling snag for 14-3.
New England sought to claw their way back when Christian Gonzalez intercepted Goff on third-and-nine with six minutes to play in the first half, only for a subsequent three-and-out to sum up the struggles they would face on offense for the rest of the game.
Kevin Byard kept the Lions alive at the end of the first half when he broke up a pass to Sam LaPorta for a would-be touchdown, before intercepted Goff in the end zone on the very next play.
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Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson injured himself while celebrating a sack of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in Germany
St Brown added his second in the third quarter when he bundled over for a 28-yard touchdown with some help from his ploughing offensive lineman, giving the Lions a 28-3 advantage. The celebration was… interesting, the Lions dropping on all fours and crawling like a… human centipede? St Brown had promised a nod to Germany during the week were he to find the end zone; this was probably it. Dare we say more?
Mike Vrabel’s injury list extended in the second half when AJ Brown limped to the locker room with a hamstring injury at the start of the fourth quarter in the latest disruption to his first season with the Patriots.
The Patriots found the end zone for the first time moments later when DeVito fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to second-year undrafted running back Lan Larison.
Detroit replied immediately and emphatically when Penei Sewell’s blocking exploits paved the way for Gibbs to strike again with a 28-yard touchdown run to build on his mammoth performance, taking him over 250 scrimmage yards for the day.
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Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa makes an unbelievable catch against the New England Patriots in Munich
St Brown: I’m sad to leave:
Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown…
“It’s been probably one of the most fun days I’ve ever had. Playing for Detroit, being in Germany with these fans, coming out with a win like this – it’s been amazing.
“I’m sad to leave, but it was a really fun three days.
“I feel like we could have scored more points than we did today – that’s being a bit greedy, but we had a lot of three-and-outs.
“When we did get going we got going, which was good, but I still think we can be better.”
Stats leaders:
Detroit Lions:
- Passing: Jared Goff, 20/31, 303 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
- Rushing: Jahmyr Gibbs, 22 carries, 153 yards, 2 TDs
- Receiving: Amon-Ra St Brown, 7 catches, 99 yards
New England Patriots:
- Passing: Tommy DeVito, 12/24, 81 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing: Corey Kiner, 10 carries, 25 yards
- Receiving: Mack Hollins, 5 catches, 48 tards
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