Buffalo's Bay Day Gives Patriots 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 Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many people into the NFL
That result could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their 8-2 rivals
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash next week, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an eye-opening outcome - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - yes the Dolphins had ten days to prepare but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Containing the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later
It was classic '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 calm, controlled, balanced Bills we've seen this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an instant response in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the top of the AFC East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC teams, but could they be the best?
One could find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined 24 wins coming against teams with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Denver
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time win in Buffalo seems like a statement
Their pair of losses came in new head coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, since then - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to get ready was huge
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely earns credit for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his side to victory
The defensive unit is reliable and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth different runner to break 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the top record thanks to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to the Ravens 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 challenge for first place but face the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jaguars to face. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is available for a surprise top seed in the AFC
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different eight and two sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who each scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in LA
Both have secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a contest
Each could realistically be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their two defeats came in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick deflected and returned by the Eagles for a touchdown
The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they are genuinely among the best sides in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the season to date
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and contributing another forty-two {receiving yards