Bills' Bay Day Opens Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many fans into the NFL
This outcome could have created things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were second best from the start as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the league's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best running game was crucial too, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defense and Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - rather than the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East
Spotlight - New England See Path to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the New England, they're among three eight and two squads in the NFL, all AFC sides, but could they be the best?
You can find flaws in New England, the Broncos and the Colts actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined 24 wins achieved against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver
Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, from that point - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns point for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his team to success
The defense is solid and first-year running back Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the best' is statistically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the top record due to their schedule - which includes just one game against a successful opponent, although a huge one against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Kansas City to face two times, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and additionally the Packers on the schedule
The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There is a long way to travel but the door is open for a shock number one position in the AFC
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different eight and two sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a game
Both could easily be without a loss as too - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses came in extra time against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick blocked and run back by the Eagles for a touchdown
Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year so far
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - running for 244 yards, scoring three scores and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards