Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Opens New England Route 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 Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' saying that attracts so many people into the National Football League
That result could have created opportunities for the Patriots to creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that provides them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Bills had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's initial first down in the third period and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly Miami had ten days to get ready but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the league's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa passed for two scores but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Containing the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and company registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and just over half their 161.5 yard season average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his final quarter fumble that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team out of it - rather than the calm, controlled, balanced Bills we've seen this year
Miami have served up a bit of everything this season so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the start of something, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East
Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the New England, they're one of three eight and two teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the best?
You can find flaws in New England, the Broncos and the Colts actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with just five of their total 24 wins achieved against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Denver
The Broncos defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time win in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's first three games, with seven straight wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns point for courage after taking some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his side to success
The defense is solid and rookie running back Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this season on his initial touchdown
While you can argue who 'the top team' is statistically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a successful opponent, albeit a huge one against Buffalo
Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to play twice, the Chargers (who could also challenge for first place but face the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There's a considerable distance to go but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Both squads with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different 8-2 teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both put up 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's major game between the two in LA
They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a game
Each could easily be without a loss as too - especially the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before losing to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely among the best sides in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor might be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Berlin - rushing for 244 yards, scoring three scores and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards