Bills' Bay Day Opens Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week again delivered, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many people into the National Football League
That result may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC 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 MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Bills had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the final quarter - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but running back Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into a touchdown just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team out of it - not the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on whether this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the top of the AFC East
Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're among three different 8-2 teams in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the best?
One could find flaws in New England, Denver and Indianapolis actually for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their combined twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Broncos
The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their pair of losses came in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven straight wins, just like the Broncos, since then - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to get ready was significant
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa but persevering to guide his side to victory
The defensive unit is solid and rookie rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth runner to break 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting Baltimore is also tough, but the Broncos 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 encounter the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There is a long way to go but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seahawks and Rams, who both put up forty points to reach 7-2 before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units allowing fewer than twenty points a game
Both could easily be undefeated as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their two defeats occurred in overtime against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the last kick deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly among the top teams in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the season to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor might be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - rushing for 244 yards, registering three touchdowns and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards