Bills' Bay Day Opens New England Route to AFC East Lead - Highlights of NFL Week 10
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many people into the NFL
That result could have created things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to arrange a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Bills had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an eye-opening result - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's opening 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
Tua Tagovailoa passed for two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and just over half their 161.5 yard season average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to seven points just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to do too much to rescue his squad out of it - not the calm, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this season
Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - Patriots See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in New England, the Broncos and the Colts really for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their total 24 victories coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, since then - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to get ready was significant
Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns point for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his side to victory
The defense is reliable and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to exceed 22mph this season on his first score
While you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the top record thanks to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Kansas City to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also challenge for top seed but face the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There's a considerable distance to go but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the AFC
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Clash
Both squads with solid claims 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 40 burgers to go to 7-2 ahead of the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with top receivers, and defensive units allowing fewer than twenty points a contest
Each could easily be without a loss as too - especially the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the last kick blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the final play of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards