Patriots 4-4 on the road - is that cause for concern going into this Sunday?

Photo from CBS Sports

The Patriots went 12-4 in the regular season, with all of their losses coming on the road. Should the Patriots be concerned, though? Yes and no - there are causes for concern, but there are also reasons for optimism. The Broncos were 7-1 at home in the regular season, 8-1 now including last night's win, so it's obviously a tough place to go play, but it's no Seattle.

YES: While I don't think anyone realistically expects the Denver defense to shut out the Patriots for 3 quarters like they did against San Diego last night, I fully expect another strong performance from the Denver defense at Sports Authority Field. Especially if the crowd gets into it like they did last night. Plus, the Patriots are facing the most potent offense in the league on the road and will have a tough time if they fall behind.

NO: The Broncos looked vulnerable last night. The Chargers could have gotten back into the game much sooner if they could have taken advantage of all the mistakes. If the Broncos make those mistakes again, the Pats will make them pay. Also, I mentioned the crowd noise - Sports Authority Field in it's best day came nowhere near the intensity and passion of going to Seattle. There are very few places that come even close to matching the Seattle Seahawks home field advantage, but Denver is not one of them.

There is plenty of gray area, but I don't think the Patriots are at a disadvantage going into Denver. Yes, it'll be a tough game, but the Patriots are a much better team than San Diego.

Twitter - @ConorJF1016
@PatriotsLife