Bills' Bay Day Opens Patriots Path to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many fans into the National Football League
That result could have created things up for the Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and display
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's opening first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Containing the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and teammates recording just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the year and just over fifty percent their 161.5 yard average
Then there were the three critical turnovers, and the pair from Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins converted to seven points just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad from the situation - not the calm, controlled, well-balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the jury's out on if this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three different eight and two squads in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the top team?
One could find flaws in New England, the Broncos and the Colts really for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their total 24 wins coming against teams with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Broncos
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time success in Buffalo seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven straight victories, just like the Broncos, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to prepare was huge
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly earns credit 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 running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 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 technically, the Patriots should be favorites to finish with the best record due to their schedule - which features just one game against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also challenge for top seed but face the same problem) and also the Packers on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three different 8-2 teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who each put up 40 burgers to go to 7-2 ahead of next week's major meeting between the pair in LA
They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a game
Both could realistically be without a loss as well - especially the Rams as their pair of losses came in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are truly two of the top teams in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year to date
Top Performer - Taylor
Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three touchdowns and contributing another forty-two {receiving yards