Bills' Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10
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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' saying that draws so many fans 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 remaining games that gives them an edge over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a major confrontation 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 letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were second best from the start as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the team's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was nonetheless a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James 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 crucial turnovers, and the pair from Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine-minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Josh Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - not the composed, disciplined, balanced Bills we've seen this season
The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on if this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the New England are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the AFC East
In Focus - New England See Path to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the New England, they're one of three eight and two squads in the league, all AFC teams, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their total 24 victories achieved against opponents with a positive record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Denver
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime win in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive wins, just like the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was significant
Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns point for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his side to victory
The defense is reliable and first-year running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exciting touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown
Although you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the best record due to their schedule - which features just one game against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who could also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and additionally the Packers on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jaguars to contend with. There's a long way to travel but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 teams are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who each put up 40 burgers to reach seven and two before next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have won four in a consecutive games, 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 defensive units giving up under 20 points a contest
Each could easily be undefeated as well - 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 potentially winning kick with the final play deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're truly two of the best sides in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season to date
Top Performer - Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three scores and adding another 42 {receiving yards