Buffalo's Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to AFC East Lead - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many fans into the NFL
That result 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 eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a major confrontation next week, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Was it just an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs last week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - yes Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa passed for two scores but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and company recording just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into a touchdown just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defense and Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad from the situation - not the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an instant response in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the AFC East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all AFC teams, but are they the best?
One could find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis actually for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their total twenty-four victories achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Denver
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa to their primtime success in Buffalo seems like a statement
Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three games, with seven straight victories, similar to Denver, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was significant
Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his side to success
The defensive unit is solid and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22mph this year on his first score
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against the Bills
Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who might also challenge for first place but encounter the same problem) and also the Green Bay on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There is a considerable distance to go but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the AFC
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to go to seven and two before next week's major game between the two in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with top receivers, and defensive units giving up fewer than twenty points a contest
Each could realistically be undefeated as too - especially the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are truly among the best sides in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the season so far
Player of the Week - Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding another forty-two {receiving yards