Bills' Disappointing Performance Gives Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many people into the National Football League
That result may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their 8-2 rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a monster clash next week, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the beginning as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third period and initial scoring in the fourth - yes Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two touchdowns but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5 yard average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that Miami converted to a touchdown just later
It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defense and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team from the situation - rather than the calm, controlled, balanced Bills we've seen this season
The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this year so the jury's out on whether this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - New England See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two teams in the league, all AFC sides, but could they be the top team?
One could find flaws in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for dominating the weaker opponents, with just five of their total twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Denver
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their two defeats occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's initial three games, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he definitely deserves credit for courage after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his team to victory
The defensive unit is reliable and rookie rusher Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22mph this year on his first score
While you can argue who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the top record thanks to their schedule - which features just one game against a successful opponent, albeit a huge one against Buffalo
Visiting Baltimore is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There's a long way to go but the opportunity is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Week 11 Showdown
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different eight and two teams are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both scored forty points to go to 7-2 before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in LA
They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a game
Both could easily be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their two defeats occurred in overtime against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor might be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and contributing another forty-two {receiving yards