Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many fans into the National Football League
That result may have opened things up for the Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a remaining games that provides them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to set up a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the league's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best running game was also key, with James Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to seven points just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team out of it - not the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this season
The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on whether this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the top team?
One could pick holes in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their total twenty-four wins achieved against opponents with a positive record - and one example was the Colts defeating the Broncos
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time win in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive wins, just like Denver, since then - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to get ready was significant
Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves point for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his team to success
The defense is solid and rookie rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this season on his first score
While you can debate who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which includes just one game against a winning team, albeit a huge one against the Bills
Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Kansas City to play twice, the Chargers (who could also compete for first place but encounter the same problem) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There is a considerable distance to go but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Clash
Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three eight and two teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both put up 40 burgers to go to seven and two before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in LA
Both have secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a contest
Each could easily be without a loss as too - especially the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the last kick blocked and run back by the Eagles for a touchdown
The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they're truly two of the top teams in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year so far
Top Performer - Taylor
Taylor could be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing another 42 {receiving yards