Bills' Disappointing Performance Gives New England Route to Top Spot - 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 proving the 'any given Sunday' saying that draws so many people into the NFL
This outcome could have created things up for the Patriots to move back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a remaining games that provides them an edge over their 8-2 rivals
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to answer
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an eye-opening result - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third period and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the league's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two scores
Containing the league's best rushing attack was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates registering just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - not the composed, controlled, balanced Bills we've seen this season
The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the beginning of something, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC teams, but could they be the best?
You can find flaws in New England, Denver and Indianapolis really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their total 24 wins achieved against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Broncos
The Broncos defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time success in Buffalo seems like a declaration
Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his side to victory
The defensive unit is solid and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to break 22mph this season on his first score
Although you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which features just one game against a winning team, although a huge one against Buffalo
Traveling to the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who could also challenge for top seed but encounter the same problem) and also the Packers on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the AFC
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Clash
Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three different eight and two teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both put up forty points to go to seven and two ahead of the upcoming major meeting between the pair in LA
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a game
Each could easily be undefeated as well - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before losing to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the top teams in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards