Whether you are a fan of the New England Patriots or not, you know that they are nearly perfect at home. You know that they hardly get blown out, and you know that something is wrong with their defense. The trouble with the Patriots is that they just do not look like themselves. The Atlanta Falcons are supposed to be on the rebound after losing the Super Bowl, but they are not playing well late in games. We could talk about how the Titans have the same problem, and we could discuss how the Raiders had the same issue before Derek Carr got hurt. The difference between close games and blowouts is much more significant than you think.
The Patriots
The Patriots troubled everyone by getting destroyed in their first game. They are a good team, but losing big is troubling because getting blown out in the NFL is very hard to do. That is why everyone flipped when the Patriots lost, and you should remember that they sit tied atop their division with the Buffalo Bills. That is not how it should be in the AFC East, and something is surely wrong with that team.
The Falcons
The Falcons have a good record, but they have failed to finish at the end of two consecutive games. That makes them look bad after losing the Super Bowl, but they are still 3-1. We could never predict their final record because they are playing as if they just got up and had to play right after losing the Super Bowl.
That is why they are dropping off in the fourth quarter.
The Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a very good team, but they seem to be struggling to play defense. Many people might want to hold out hope that the Titans will improve, but it is troubling that they got beaten so severely by the Texans. The Houston Texans are much better than the Titans though, but you do not give up 57 points to a team that surprised you.
Maybe the Titans are not as good as we imagined.
The Seahawks
This team is better than they look right now, but they have a problem with the offensive line. They had plenty of time to fix this team, and they are allowing an undersized quarterback to sit behind a line that is not very good and get pummeled. The defense has already been reported to be upset with Russell Wilson, and Wilson probably needs to play better before the defense respects him.
We know that Wilson is good, but they have a personality conflict that cannot be fixed. You might not have thought that the Seattle Seahawks were broken, but they might be if they look this bad right now.
Be careful of blowouts, and be sure that you have looked deeper if your favorite team gets embarrassed on Sunday.
