Bills' Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many fans into the NFL
That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and 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 MVP award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an eye-opening outcome - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's opening first down in the third period and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two touchdowns but rusher De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top running game was also key, with Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the year and just over half their 161.5 yard season average
Additionally there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - rather than the composed, disciplined, balanced Bills 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 something, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England See Path to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 teams in the league, all AFC teams, but are they the best?
You can find flaws in New England, Denver and the Colts actually for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined 24 wins coming against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time win in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their two defeats occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, from that point - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to guide his team to success
The defense is solid and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this season on his first score
While you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a huge one against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also compete for top seed but face the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There is a considerable distance to travel but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Showdown
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both put up forty points to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's major meeting between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a game
Each could realistically be undefeated as well - particularly the Los Angeles 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 last kick deflected and run back by the Eagles for a score
Seattle were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Top Performer - Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards