Buffalo's Bay Day Gives New England Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the National Football League
This outcome could have created things up for the Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their eight and two competitors
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Was it just an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's opening first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a massive egg produced by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but rusher De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and company registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5-yard average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the pair from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the end zone meaning a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into a touchdown just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defense and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - rather than the calm, controlled, well-balanced Bills we've seen this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the verdict is uncertain 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 sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the top team?
One could pick holes in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined twenty-four victories coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver
Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, just like the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was significant
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his side to victory
The defense is reliable and rookie rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth different runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this season on his initial touchdown
While you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a huge one against the Bills
Traveling to the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the same problem) and also the Packers on the schedule
The Colts also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There is a considerable distance to go but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seahawks and Rams, who each put up forty points to reach seven and two before next week's major game between the two in Los Angeles
They've both won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing 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 game
Each could realistically be undefeated as too - particularly the Los Angeles as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick deflected and returned by the Philadelphia for a score
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in week one, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they're truly among the best sides in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date
Player of the Week - Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three touchdowns and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards