Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Opens New England Path to AFC East Lead - Best of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many people into the NFL
That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Was it just an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Buffalo team 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 emerged as 30-13 winners in an eye-opening outcome - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa passed for two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two scores
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was also key, with 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 critical turnovers, and the pair from Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just later
It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team out of it - rather than the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Bills we've witnessed this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - New England See Path to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different eight and two teams in the NFL, all AFC teams, but could they be the best?
One could pick holes in New England, Denver and the Colts really for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their combined 24 wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven consecutive wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns credit for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his side to success
The defense is solid and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to exceed 22mph this season on his first score
While you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to the Ravens 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 encounter the identical challenge) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two matchups with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Clash
Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different eight and two teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both put up forty points to go to seven and two before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in LA
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a game
Both could realistically be without a loss as too - especially the Rams as their two defeats came in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the final play blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before losing to the final play of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly among the top teams in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Top Performer - Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three scores and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards