Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens New England Path to AFC East Lead - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' mantra that attracts so many fans into the National Football League
This outcome may have opened opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs last 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 start as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 victors 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 final quarter - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two scores
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5 yard average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into seven points just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team out of it - not the composed, controlled, well-balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the New England, they're among three different 8-2 squads in the league, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the top team?
One could pick holes in New England, the Broncos and the Colts actually 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 beating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time win in Buffalo seems like a statement
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three games, with seven straight wins, similar to the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was significant
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns point for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his side to success
The defensive unit is solid and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to exceed 22 miles per hour this season on his first score
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to finish with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which features just one game against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who might also challenge for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There is a considerable distance to go but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the AFC
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Showdown
Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who each scored forty points to go to 7-2 before next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the two in Los Angeles
They've both won four in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a contest
Both could easily be without a loss as well - especially the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the final play blocked and run back by the Eagles for a score
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are truly among the top teams in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three scores and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards