Buffalo's Bay Day Opens New England Path to AFC East Lead - Highlights of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many fans into the NFL
This outcome could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash next week, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Bills had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were second best from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an eye-opening outcome - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the final quarter - yes Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the NFL's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Bottling up the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5 yard season average
Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to seven points just two plays
It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Allen attempting to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - not the calm, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're among three 8-2 teams in the league, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the best?
One could pick holes in New England, the Broncos and the Colts really for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Denver
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Buffalo seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, since then - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he definitely deserves point for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his team to success
The defensive unit is solid and first-year rusher Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to exceed 22mph this year on his first score
While you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the top record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, although a huge one against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for top seed but face the same problem) and additionally the Packers on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the AFC
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Week 11 Showdown
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three different eight and two sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Rams, who each scored forty points to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in Los Angeles
Both have secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units giving up under 20 points a game
Both could realistically be undefeated as well - especially the Los Angeles as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick deflected and run back by the Eagles for a touchdown
The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly among the best sides in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year so far
Player of the Week - Taylor
Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three scores and contributing another 42 {receiving yards