Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens New England Route to AFC East Lead - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week again delivered, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' saying that attracts so many people into the NFL
That result could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a major confrontation in week 11, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Bills to address
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the start as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's opening first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - admittedly Miami had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa passed for 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 registering just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the season and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5 yard average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into a touchdown just two plays
It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - not the composed, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the AFC East
In Focus - New England See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the top team?
One could find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts actually for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their combined twenty-four victories coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Denver
Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time win in Buffalo seems like a statement
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven straight wins, just like the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was significant
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves credit for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his team to victory
The defense is reliable and first-year running back TreVeyon Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth different runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his first score
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, although a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also challenge for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and also the Green Bay on the schedule
The Indianapolis also play the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is available for a surprise top seed in the AFC
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three eight and two teams are National Football Conference West rivals the Seahawks and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's major meeting between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a game
Both could realistically be undefeated as too - particularly the Rams as their two defeats came in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning field goal with the last kick blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score
Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are truly two of the top teams in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season to date
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 yards, registering three scores and adding another 42 {receiving yards