Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Route to AFC East Lead - 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 draws so many fans into the National Football League
That result may have opened things up for the Patriots to move back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their eight and two competitors
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had 10 days to prepare but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average
Additionally there were the three critical turnovers, and the pair from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area resulting in a nine minute drive produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to a touchdown just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defense and Josh Allen trying to do too much to dig his team from the situation - rather than the calm, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the AFC East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 teams in the NFL, all AFC sides, but could they be the best?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their total 24 victories achieved against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver
Denver defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven straight victories, just like Denver, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was significant
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely deserves credit for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his team to success
The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22 miles per hour this season on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the schedule
The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There is a long way to go but the door is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Showdown
Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who each scored 40 burgers to go to 7-2 before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in LA
They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a contest
Both could realistically be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their two defeats came in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly among the best sides in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - rushing for 244 rushing yards, registering three scores and adding another forty-two {receiving yards