The Detroit Lions are getting ready for an overseas journey and a marquee matchup.

On Sunday, while Lions fans in Detroit are waking up, the team will be getting set to take on the New England Patriots. Kickoff is set for 9:30 E.T., with the Lions as the dedicated home team for the game at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

Here are 10 thoughts surrounding the Lions' Week 10 matchup with the Patriots.

Player to watch

Coming into Sunday's game, quarterback Drake Maye is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 11. As a result, the Lions' defense could be in a position to be opportunistic and take the ball away, setting their offense up in good field position in the process.

My eyes are on Brian Branch, who already has an interception to his name in the three games he's played this season. Because of his versatility, he could be in a position to take the ball away at some point throughout Sunday's game.

Since coming back from the Achilles injury that ended his season last year, Branch has looked increasingly comfortable over his three games. He played every snap last week, and looked capable of being a leader for the defense that is missing one of its captains.

International history

The Lions will be playing their first game on foreign soil since 2015, as they have only played two overseas games prior to Sunday. Both were in London, and they took place in back-to-back years starting in 2014.

In their first appearance overseas, that 2014 game against the Atlanta Falcons, they were able to rally and stage a thrilling comeback victory. They won that game 22-21 thanks to a last-second field goal from Matt Prater.

The following year, the Lions returned to Wembley Stadium and took on the Kansas City Chiefs. The results were not as favorable that time, as they were defeated 45-10 by the Chiefs.

Breaking a trend

The Patriots have dominated the history between these two teams, with the Lions winning just two of those matchups since 2000. Much of that time was in the Tom Brady era, a likely first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Patriots from 2001-19.

Detroit defeated New England in November of 2000, and again on Sunday Night Football in 2018 for Matt Patricia's first win as the team's head coach. However, the Patriots won the other five meetings in that time frame leading up to this season.

If the Lions were to win on international soil, it would be a big win and their fifth in a row. A five-game win streak would be the longest for Detroit since the 2024 season, when they ripped off 11 wins in a row.

Fresh face

The Lions did make one trade at the deadline, and while there will be ire for the lack of aggressiveness, general manager Brad Holmes did add some depth in the secondary by acquiring Andre Cisco.

The former New York Jet will provide depth at the safety position, and has experience both playing as a free safety as well as in the box. He could pair nicely with Brian Branch, or supplement Branch by working some in the box in certain packages.

It appears likely that Cisco will make his Lions debut on Sunday and make the trip to Germany with the team.

Maye day

The performance of Drake Maye has been a huge storyline for the Patriots throughout the season. For a player who finished second in MVP voting last year, the showing through the first eight games has been less than stellar.

Through three games, Maye had just one touchdown pass against six interceptions. While he has rebounded somewhat, his turnover numbers remain jarring after he threw eight interceptions all of last season.

Maye is coming off a disastrous first half performance against Green Bay, where he threw three interceptions before the break before bouncing back in the second half.

If the Lions want to continue their recent stretch of strong defensive play, keeping Maye uncomfortable is a good place to start. In addition to his 11 interceptions, he has also been sacked 20 times and has struggled with consistency.

Out of division dominance

The NFC North has been the best division in football up to this point in the season. All four teams are at least three games over .500, with the Chicago Bears leading the way at 7-2. Detroit is right behind them along with Minnesota as both teams are 6-2, while the Packers sit in fourth at 6-3.

Part of the reason the division has been so good is how well they've handled opponents outside the division. Through Week 9, the NFC North is 20-4 against teams outside of their own division. Ironically, two of those losses belong to the Lions, who are the only undefeated team in divisional play.

Meanwhile, the Bears are 7-0 against teams outside the division, but have yet to win a game within the NFC North. If the Lions are going to keep pace in the divisional race, they need to keep up with their peers and continue handling business against teams outside the North.

Getting a boost

Detroit got a spike in production from rookie Derrick Moore, who recorded the first two sacks of his NFL career against Miami. Moore saw an increased workload with DJ Wonnum ruled out, and even with Wonnum potentially finding his way back into the mix on Sunday Moore has made a claim for more snaps.

Elsewhere on the injury front, Dan Campbell said Wednesday that D.J. Reed and Cade Mays both have small chances of playing, while Kerby Joseph will wait at least one more week for his debut.

If Mays and Reed are both unable to play, it will mean another start for Juice Scruggs at center and more opportunities for the likes of Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw alone with Roger McCreary at cornerback.

Best-case scenario

The Lions are one of the NFL's most popular teams in Germany, and the local fans will be hoping to see them put on a show. In their best-case scenario, the offense finishes the first drive with a touchdown as opposed to a field goal, setting the tone with an explosive play early.

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are both actively involved in the offense, while Jared Goff keeps the ball moving with crisp passes to both as well as Sam LaPorta. As with any Lions game that goes according to plan, Jahmyr Gibbs feasts in the second half and grinds away the clock in a comfortable win.

Worst-case scenario

While Maye has struggled in his third NFL season up to this point, he still has the arm talent to make a defense pay. With Reed potentially out, the Patriots could make the Lions secondary pay through the air.

If the Lions are inconssistent on offense, it puts more pressure on the defense. While Kelvin Sheppard's defense has been solid as of late, they could revert back to their early season ways in this worst-case scenario.

Ultimately, if the Lions start slow and allow New England to build a two-score lead, they would struggle to get enough stops to give their offense a chance to come back late.

Bold prediction

Sunday's game will be a homecoming of sorts for Amon-Ra St. Brown, whose mother was born in Germany. He has developed a strong reputation in the country, which has fans excited to watch him live in action on Sunday.

Because of the strong ties he has to the area, I think the Lions will do everything they can to have him have a big game. They've shown some interesting looks for St. Brown in recent weeks with coordinator Drew Petzing, and he could have another big day in store.

It won't be easy, but I believe the Lions will ultimately scheme up a way for St. Brown to approach double-digit catches, and as a result he could go over 150 yards against the Patriot defense.