Buffalo's Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to AFC East Lead - Highlights of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset 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 creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that provides them an advantage over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Bills had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an eye-opening result - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly Miami had ten days to prepare but it was still a significant failure laid 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
Containing the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates registering 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 specifically. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later
It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they hurt themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defense and Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - not the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the jury's out on if this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the AFC East
Spotlight - Patriots Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three eight and two squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the best?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and Indianapolis actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their total twenty-four victories achieved against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Broncos
Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time win in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive victories, similar to Denver, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was huge
Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves point for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his team to victory
The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to exceed 22mph this year on his first score
While you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the top record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also compete for top seed but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Packers on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jaguars to face. There is a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the AFC
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three eight and two sides are National Football Conference West rivals the Seahawks and Rams, who both scored forty points to reach seven and two ahead of the upcoming major meeting between the pair in LA
They've both won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a contest
Each could realistically be undefeated as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their two defeats came in overtime against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score
The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, 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 season so far
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, scoring three scores and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards