Bills' Bay Day Opens New England Path to AFC East Lead - Highlights of NFL Week 10
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many fans into the National Football League
That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Bills to answer
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 quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa passed for two touchdowns but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and just over half their 161.5 yard season average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone meaning a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defense and Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - not the calm, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 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
Regarding the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two teams in the NFL, all AFC sides, but could they be the top team?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts really for dominating the weaker opponents, with just five of their combined 24 victories coming against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Broncos
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park seems like a statement
Their two defeats occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven straight victories, similar to the Broncos, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was significant
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly deserves point for courage after taking some savage hits in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his side to success
The defensive unit is reliable and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth different runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown
While you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the best record due to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to face two times, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jaguars to face. There's a considerable distance to go but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the AFC
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Clash
Both squads with solid claims to be better than all of the three eight and two sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who each scored 40 burgers to reach seven and two before the upcoming major meeting between the two in LA
They've both won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a game
Both could easily be undefeated as too - especially the Rams as their two defeats came in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a potentially winning kick with the last kick deflected and run back by the Eagles for a score
The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year so far
Player of the Week - Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and adding another forty-two {receiving yards