Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens New England Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that attracts so many fans into the NFL
That result could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an eye-opening outcome - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's opening first down in the third period and initial scoring in the fourth - yes the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was still a significant failure laid by one of the league's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Containing the NFL's top running game was also key, with James Cook and company registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that Miami turned into seven points just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - rather than the composed, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the start of something, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the AFC East
In Focus - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the New England, they're among three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the best?
You can pick holes in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their total twenty-four victories achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Colts defeating the Denver
Denver defeated the champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time win in Buffalo seems like a statement
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was huge
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa but persevering to steer his team to success
The defensive unit is solid and first-year rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the top record due to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also compete for top seed but face the identical challenge) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There's a long way to go but the opportunity is available for a surprise number one position in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different eight and two teams are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each put up 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of the upcoming major game between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a game
Both could easily be undefeated as well - especially the Rams as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before losing to the last kick of the game 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 season to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards