Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Best of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the NFL
That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to move back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Bills had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an eye-opening outcome - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - yes Miami had ten days to prepare but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates recording just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5 yard average
Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine-minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to a touchdown just two plays
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad out of it - not the calm, controlled, well-balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the jury's out on if this is the beginning 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 New England, they're among three 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with just five of their total 24 wins achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their two defeats occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive victories, similar to the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to guide his side to success
The defensive unit is solid and first-year running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth ball carrier to break 22 miles per hour this season on his first score
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the best record due to their schedule - which features just one game against a winning team, albeit a huge one against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also challenge for top seed but face the same problem) and additionally the Packers on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There's a long way to travel but the door is available for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Clash
Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each scored forty points to reach 7-2 ahead of the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a game
Each could realistically be without a loss as too - especially the Los Angeles as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick deflected and returned by the Eagles for a score
The Seahawks were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the game against the Buccaneers - so they're truly two of the top teams in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date
Top Performer - Taylor
Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 yards, registering three scores and contributing another 42 {receiving yards