---

FOXBORO - Robert Kraft said it was a case of returning to "the mother country."

Several of his New England Patriots suggested that they couldn't be worried about a trip to the British Isles before they visit the Pacific Northwest this coming weekend, however.

In any event, the die has been cast for the Patriots to participate in the NFL's International Series of games overseas. They will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at London's Wembley Stadium on Week 8 of the 2009 season (Sunday, Oct. 25), marking their first game played off the North American continent.

"We're really excited that the league chose us to play in London," the Patriots' owner said Monday before a cluster of reporters in the Gillette Stadium locker room. "We're interested in the globalization of our sport and I guess we've become the No. 1 team over there, probably because of our name. We're the New England Patriots and we're going back to the mother country for some. It's pretty exciting."

The contest, scheduled for a 1 p.m. (Eastern time) start on CBS, will mark the third consecutive year that an NFL regular-season game will be played at Wembley. The New Orleans Saints defeated the San Diego Chargers 37-32 before a crowd of 83,226 on Oct. 26, while on Oct. 28, 2007, the New York Giants defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-10 in a driving rainstorm. "Over the past two years, we have seen first-hand the excitement that exists for our sport in the UK," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement released by the league Monday. "The games have helped us to deepen our connection with our UK fans as well as create new ones. We are looking forward to another outstanding game in 2009."

This game will technically be Tampa Bay's "home" game, so the Patriots will not be surrendering a home date at Gillette Stadium.

"I'm not giving up a home game unless our fans vote for us to do so," Kraft said. "Actually, the flight going there is probably not much longer than going down to Tampa Bay, so from that sense, it's a positive thing."

The Patriots were originally the league's first choice (along with this week's opponent, the Seattle Seahawks) to participate in a preseason game in Asia. The "China Bowl," planned for Aug. 7, 2007, in Beijing, would have been the first in a series of high-profile events leading to the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Chinese capital. But in April of last year, the league canceled plans to send the Patriots and Seahawks to China (after another preseason game between the two teams at Qwest Field that was also canceled), for the announced reason that it was going to focus its resources upon preparations for the Giants-Dolphins regular-season game at Wembley.

Kraft took the opportunity to pull the leg of the assembled media when he was asked if Patriots' coach Bill Belichick had been consulted about the plan to travel overseas for a regular-season game.

"Bill was the No. 1 cheerleader to get this game and have it over there," Kraft said. "He had really preferred to go to China, but "

After the obligatory laughter, Kraft acknowledged that the game would be a break with the normal schedule that all coaches prefer.

"The NFL is about routine and schedule," he said. "And I'm sure most NFL coaches would like to play all 16 games, home and away, at 1 o'clock. I'm sure he would like to have every one at Gillette and I think every coach is that way. When your team gets a little bit better then you get these changes in the schedule.

"Needless to say," Kraft added, "he preferred England over China."

The Patriots - despite having changed their primary uniform color from red to blue in 1993 to be historically accurate and not be mistaken for "redcoats" - have a loyal following in the United Kingdom, dating back to the days when native Brit John Smith was their placekicker. The Buccaneers also have a tie to the British Isles with the Glazer family's ownership of the Manchester United soccer team. "There's a UK fan club that's pretty active," Kraft said. "They come over here and they've been coming here for a number of years, I know. They had a Saturday night dinner at the CBS Scene before a game this year."

One consideration that the NFL gives to teams participating in the International Series overseas is that their bye week is scheduled immediately following the game. The Patriots' trip will take place on Week 8 and their bye will follow on Week 9.

"Which is great, and it's right in the middle of the season," Kraft said. "It's the eighth week, so it's the perfect midpoint. So both teams get the week off."

This will be the fifth game the Patriots have played outside the United States, but only the first in the regular season. Previously they have played two games in Montreal (a 22-9 loss to Detroit on Aug. 25, 1969, and a 30-14 loss to Pittsburgh on Aug. 9, 1990), one in Toronto (a 12-9 loss to Belichick's Cleveland Browns on Aug. 14, 1993) and one in Mexico City (a 21-3 win over Dallas before 106,424 on Aug. 17, 1998).

Not surprisingly, current Patriots weren't overly enthusiastic about the London trip. Having just lost to Pittsburgh by a 33-10 score to fall to 7-5, and with their playoff hopes in jeopardy, the players said their focus was a bit shorter in length.

"I really wasn't even aware of it, to be honest with you," linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "If I'm on this team next year, or anybody's on this team, the Patriots are going to London next year and that's the story. But other than that, this team right now, we've got to lick our wounds and head out to Seattle."

Guard Logan Mankins was even more succinct.

"I guess if we have to, we have to," he said.

MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.