Buffalo's Bay Day Opens New England Route to Top Spot - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many people into the National Football League
That result could have created things up for the Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their 8-2 rivals
Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Was it just an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City 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 outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Containing the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the year and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average
Additionally there were the three critical turnovers, and the pair from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine-minute drive yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team from the situation - not the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 squads in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the top team?
One could find flaws in New England, Denver and the Colts actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined 24 victories coming against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Colts beating the Broncos
The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time win in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three games, with seven straight wins, just like Denver, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves point for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his team to victory
The defensive unit is solid and first-year rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth different runner to exceed 22mph this season on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the top record due to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who might also challenge for first place but encounter the same problem) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the AFC
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Showdown
Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three eight and two teams are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both put up 40 burgers to go to 7-2 before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a contest
Each could realistically be undefeated as too - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in overtime against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play blocked and run back by the Eagles for a score
Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the league
The next matchup 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 remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three touchdowns and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards