Drake Maye New England Patriots
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Ahead of the NFL schedule release, anonymous executives predict the New England Patriots will take a step in the wrong direction.
ESPN commentator and noted New England Patriots critic Ryan Clark reacted to the team facing the Detroit Lions in Week 10 in Munich.
There were rumors that the Patriots may play international contests, with schedule leaks coming out on Tuesday evening. Now, that is very much happening, as the Patriots will look to face a more difficult schedule than they did in 2025. This could be a marquee game, with the Lions coming off a 9-8 season in 2025. They failed to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons, in what was a crowded NFC North division.
Now, they will be looking to get back into the swing of things, and this game will give them a chance to make noise on an international scale.
In the meantime, Clark sees this game as a status shift for the Patriots, with the latter coming off a Super Bowl appearance in 2025.
“[The Patriots] aren’t used to being the hunted, they’re used to being the hunters… Let’s see how the Patriots handle that.”
Clark Is Noted Patriots Critic
Clark has notoriously been a critic of the Patriots organization, both as a player and as a commentator. He infamously labeled the Patriots as ‘cheaters’ back in 2019. He also recently took shots at the organization for how they played in the Super Bowl, indicating that they played conservatively.
It is fair to point out that the Patriots are certainly going to have a more difficult road in 2026 than they did last season. They have the sixth-hardest schedule in the NFL, and will face several marquee teams. The Patriots season will reportedly begin against the Seattle Seahawks in the season opener, while the Lions game is the other contest that has been announced at this point. The rest of the schedule will be revealed on Thursday, as the NFL officially rolls out its schedule.
Clark Has Intriguing History Against Patriots
Clark certainly had experience against the Patriots on the gridiron as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He went 2-9 against the Patriots in his career, which broke down to nine regular-season games and two postseason games. He had 64 total tackles, and did not record a forced fumble, interception, or fumble recovery.
Clark did have several memorable moments against the Patriots. He infamously hit Patriots receiver Wes Welker over the middle on a tipped pass. The hit resulted in a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty and knocked Welker out of the game. Clark recorded five tackles in the contest.
Clark also had another strong game against the Patriots in 2013. The Patriots were victorious by a 55-31 margin. However, he recorded 12 tackles in the game. He was a bright spot for a Steelers defense that gave up 432 passing yards in the contest.
Clark has never been shy about the spotlight or making bold proclamations. He may be onto something here, as the Patriots have elevated the franchise’s profile for the better. The Lions game will be highly anticipated by fans of both teams. It will be interesting to see how this game plays out. There will be a lot of interesting subplots within the game, as two elite franchises go head-to-head overseas.