Bills' Bay Day Opens New England Route to Top Spot - Highlights of NFL Week 10
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The tenth week again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many people into the NFL
This outcome may have opened opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a remaining games that provides them an advantage over their eight and two competitors
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a monster clash next week, while our top performer 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 last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Bills had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and display
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third period and initial scoring in the fourth - yes the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the league's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top running game was also key, with James Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average
Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that Miami turned into seven points just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - not the composed, controlled, well-balanced Bills we've witnessed this season
The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - Patriots Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 squads in the league, all AFC teams, but are they the best?
One could pick holes in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts really for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their combined twenty-four victories achieved against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Denver
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time win in Buffalo seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves point for courage after taking some savage hits in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his team to success
The defense is solid and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth different runner to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown
While you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which features just one game against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Kansas City to face two times, the Chargers (who could also compete for top seed but encounter the same problem) and also the Packers on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There's a long way to travel but the opportunity is open for a surprise top seed in the AFC
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Showdown
Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three 8-2 teams are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both scored 40 burgers to go to 7-2 before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defensive units giving up under 20 points a contest
Both could easily be undefeated as too - especially the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in extra time against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the final play of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are truly two of the best sides in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three touchdowns and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards