Buffalo's Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 again delivered, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many fans into the NFL
This outcome may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to move back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their 8-2 competitors
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous 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 outperformed from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an eye-opening result - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the league's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but running back Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two scores
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with Cook and company recording just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the year and just over fifty percent their 161.5 yard average
Additionally there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the end zone meaning 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, falling into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - not the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've witnessed this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the AFC East
Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the New England, they're among three 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the top team?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with just five of their combined twenty-four victories achieved against opponents with a positive record - and one example was the Colts defeating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time win in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their two defeats occurred in new head coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to get ready was significant
Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his team to success
The defensive unit is solid and rookie rusher Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his first score
Although you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the top record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to face two times, the Chargers (who could also compete for first place but face the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There is a considerable distance to go but the door is open for a shock number one position in the AFC
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Two teams 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 Rams, who both scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 before 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 Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a contest
Each could realistically be undefeated as too - especially the Los Angeles as their two defeats came in overtime against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a score
Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely two of the best sides in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 yards, scoring three scores and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards