Patriots-Colts Week 10 news, notes, and fun facts

Mac Jones, Hunter Henry excited for Patriots to play in Germany

FOXBORO -- Get ready to wake up with the Patriots on Sunday. The Pats will be squaring off with the Indianapolis Colts in Germany, so New England fans get to enjoy a 9:30 a.m. kickoff in Week 10.

So grab a cup of Dallmayr and a giant potato omelet and enjoy some morning football. And if the Patriots lose yet again, at least you'll have the rest of the afternoon ahead of you to enjoy.

The NFL will take over Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt for the second straight Sunday, with the Patriots and the Colts set to do battle this time around. International fans got to see the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins, 21-14, last weekend. It was the second game the NFL has played in Germany, after the Buccaneers beat the Seahawks in Munich last season.

Both the Patriots and the Colts are sticking to their normal Wednesday and Thursday practice schedules, and will be departing for Germany following Thursday's practice. The two teams will arrive in Frankfurt on Friday morning, and then hit the practice field for one final time before Sunday's tilt.

The 2-7 Patriots have lost two straight and five of their last six games, so they could really use a win on Sunday. Otherwise, that's going to be one long flight back as they head into their bye week. The Colts beat the Panthers last weekend, but lost three straight prior to that victory.

Here's everything you need to know about Sunday's Patriots-Colts showdown in Germany.

Patriots vs. Colts

-If you feel like the Patriots play the Colts every season, you're not far off. This will be the third straight year that we get a Pats-Colts matchup, with the two teams splitting the previous two meetings.

-The Patriots and the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts met twice a year from 1970-2001 (minus the 1982 strike season) as AFC East rivals. Even after the Colts moved to the AFC South in 2002, the two teams met every year from 2003-2012.

-The Patriots won eight straight over the Colts from 2010-2018.

-Overall, this weekend will be the 84th matchup between the Patriots and the Colts, with New England holding a 49-29 edge in the regular season and a 4-1 advantage in the playoffs.

-Three of the team's five postseason showdowns came in the AFC Championship Game, with the Pats victorious in two of those meetings.

-Bill Belichick is 17-7 against the Colts as head coach of the Patriots, and 19-9 overall against Indianapolis as a head coach.

Connections

-Belichick got his start in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts back in 1975, earning $25 a week as an assistant to head coach Ted Marchibroda. 

-Patriots defensive tackle Lawrence Guy started his career with the Colts, playing in 11 games for Indianapolis during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

-Four former Patriots are currently on the Colts: Offensive lineman Arlington Hambright, linebacker Cameron McGrone, and cornerbacks Kenny Moore II and Ameer Speed.

-Reggie Wayne had a famous training camp run with the Patriots in 2015, which lasted all of two weeks before he requested his release. He retired a few months later, and is now Indianapolis' wide receivers coach. 

Everything else you need to know

-The Colts enter Week 10 ranking 12th in the NFL in total offense at 344.1 yards per game. The Patriots are 27th at 289.4 yards per game. The Indianapolis run game ranks 10th in the NFL at 123.3 yards per game, while the Patriots are 28th at just 86.9 rushing yards per game. 

-Indy ranks seventh at 25.8 points per game, while New England checks in at 31st at just 15 points per contest. The Colts have scored at least 27 points in their last three games, through they're just 1-2 in those contests.

-The Colts defense is in tough shape though, giving up 26.9 points per game, tied for 28th in the NFL. The Patriots aren't much better, ranking 26th at 25.3 points allowed per game.

-Sunday will be New England's fourth international games, with the Patriots 3-0 in their previous appearances outside the U.S. The Patriots won twice in London -- with a 35-7 win over the Bucs in 2009 and a 45-7 win over the St. Louis Rams in 2012 -- and 33-8 over the Raiders in Mexico City in 2017.

-Sunday's game will actually count as a home game for the Patriots. 

-Rhamondre Stevenson had a 64-yard touchdown run last week against Washington, and he'd join a very small group if he can break off another 50-yard run this weekend. Only four other Patriots have had multiple 50-plus-yard runs in a season: Laurence Maroney (2007), Sedrick Shaw (1998) Robert Edwards (1998), and Craig James (1985). 

-Stevenson would join an even more illustrious group if he rips off a 50-yard run in back-to-back weeks. That has only been done once by a Patriots running back, with Jim Nance accomplishing the feat in 1966.

-Patriots rookie punter Bryce Baringer is now your leader for punts inside the 20-yard line with 22 on the season. 

-Belichick has won at least one game in 50 different stadiums, and can add another to the list with a victory at Frankfurt Stadium on Sunday. Andy Reid ranks second with wins at 44 different stadiums.

Tune in to a special edition of Patriots GameDay with Steve Burton coming at you LIVE from Germany on Sunday morning at 8 a.m.! And when the Patriots and the Colts are done in Frankfurt, be sure to tune in to Patriots 5th Quarter on TV38 or all the reaction and analysis of the game!

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