The idea of going home often seems much better than when you actually arrive there, and that was the case for three particular teams in Sunday's action.
The New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys all hosted games in which they were more than 6.5-point favorites, yet all three shockingly fell in defeat.
Each loss highlighted a glaring problem for each team, and unless they are addressed soon, don't expect any of them to make a deep run this season.
Patriots
It's official, the worst defense in the league belongs to the Patriots. That seems unfathomable for a team coached by defensive mastermind Bill Belichick, but Sunday's 33-30 loss to the Carolina Panthers means the defending Super Bowl champions have given up 30-plus points in three of four games this season. Cam Newton had looked ordinary through three games, but looked like he was back in college Sunday, exploding for 316 yards and three scores. It's simple to say that Belichick will get things fixed, but four games is not a small sample size, and the results have been horrific thus far.
Area of concern: Defense
Falcons
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Jermaine Dupri once stated in his classic banger, "Welcome to Atlanta", that "Sunday, is when I get my sleep in," and hopefully for Falcons fans, they followed suit this weekend. Outside of Bills' supporters, there probably weren't many people who expected Buffalo to storm in to Atlanta Sunday and physically dominate the Falcons, but that's exactly what happened. The Falcons have played with fire in two of their three wins this season, and it finally bit them against the Bills. Matt Ryan has thrown five interceptions in his last two games, and it's becoming clear that the Falcons will go only as far as their quarterback takes them.
Area of concern: Matt Ryan's turnovers
Cowboys
It's hard to say what the Cowboys defensive film room studied ahead of Sunday's game versus the Los Angeles Rams, but apparently Todd Gurley wasn't on the tape. The standout running back absolutely shredded the Cowboys defense for 121 yards on the ground and 94 yards receiving in the Rams 35-30 win. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and Dez Bryant did their part for the home team, but the defense couldn't stop the Rams from moving the ball into Cowboys' territory all game. They held strong to avoid touchdowns, but Greg Zuerlein's seven field goals proved to be enough. Jared Goff looked very comfortable, which is scary considering Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are next on the schedule.
Area of concern: Defense
