Buffalo's Bay Day Gives New England Route to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many people into the National Football League
This outcome may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their eight and two competitors
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs last week or something more? That's the question for the Bills to address
The Buffalo squad 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 display
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's opening first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - admittedly Miami had 10 days to get ready but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best running game was also key, with James Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard average
Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to a touchdown just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - rather than the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Bills we've witnessed this year
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an instant response in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the AFC East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different eight and two teams in the NFL, all AFC sides, but are they the best?
One could find flaws in New England, Denver and the Colts really for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their total twenty-four wins achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Broncos
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their pair of losses came in new head coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive victories, similar to the Broncos, since then - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he definitely deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his team to success
The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth different ball carrier to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his first score
While you can argue who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the best record due to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to face two times, the Chargers (who could also challenge for first place but face the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There is a considerable distance to go but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the AFC
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Set 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 Seahawks and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to go to 7-2 before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have secured four victories in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a game
Each could easily be undefeated as well - particularly the Rams as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning field goal with the last kick deflected and run back by the Eagles for a score
The Seahawks were also defeated 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 two of the top teams in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 yards, registering three touchdowns and adding an additional forty-two {receiving yards