Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens New England Route to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many fans into the National Football League
This outcome could have created opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their eight and two rivals
Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third period and initial scoring in the final quarter - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a massive egg laid by one of the league's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and company recording just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the year and just over half their 161.5 yard average
Additionally there were the three critical turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just two plays
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team from the situation - not the calm, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the New England, they're one of three different 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC teams, but are they the best?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their total 24 wins coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Denver
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time win in Buffalo seems like a statement
Their two defeats came in new head coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven straight victories, just like Denver, since then - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to prepare was significant
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his team to victory
The defensive unit is solid and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth ball carrier to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown
Although 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 successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who could also compete for first place but encounter the same problem) and also the Packers on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jaguars to face. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is open for a surprise number one position in the AFC
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three different 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both put up forty points to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the two in LA
Both have won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a game
Both could easily be without a loss as too - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the 49ers 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 late touchdown in the opening week, before losing to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date
Player of the Week - Taylor
Taylor could be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three touchdowns and adding an additional forty-two {receiving yards