Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Highlights 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 National Football League
That result could have created things up for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a monster clash next week, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two scores but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and teammates recording just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard average
Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball 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 hole on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team from the situation - not the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've witnessed this season
The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on if this is the start of something, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the New England, they're among three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC sides, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis really for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their combined 24 victories coming against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa to their primtime success in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely deserves point for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his team to victory
The defense is reliable and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to break 22mph this year on his first score
Although you can argue who 'the best' is statistically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their remaining opponents - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting Baltimore is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also challenge for top seed but encounter 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 matchups with the five and four Jaguars to face. There is a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is available for a surprise top seed in the AFC
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West opponents the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who both put up 40 burgers to go to 7-2 ahead of next week's major game between the pair in LA
They've both won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a game
Each could easily be undefeated as well - especially the Rams as their two defeats came in overtime against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a game-winning field goal with the final play blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score
Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly two of the best sides in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor might be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding an additional forty-two {receiving yards