Bills' Bay Day Gives New England Path to Top Spot - Highlights of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many fans into the NFL
That result could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a leading position they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an edge over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Bills had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the start as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 victors 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 Miami had ten days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the NFL's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and company recording 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 critical ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to seven points just later
It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defense and Allen trying to do too much to dig his team out of it - rather than the calm, controlled, well-balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on whether this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers next week as the New England 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 one of three different 8-2 squads in the league, all AFC teams, but are they the best?
You can find flaws in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their total twenty-four victories achieved against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Buffalo seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was significant
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly earns credit for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his team to victory
The defensive unit is reliable and rookie running back Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 rushing 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 initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the best record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also challenge for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There is a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Showdown
Both squads with solid claims to be better than all of the three different 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both put up forty points to go to seven and two ahead of the upcoming major meeting between the two in Los Angeles
They've both won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold performing at an elite level (although Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with top receivers, and defensive units allowing fewer than twenty points a game
Both could realistically be without a loss as well - especially the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in overtime against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely two of the top teams in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season so far
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards