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 Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that draws 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 top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an advantage over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and 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 MVP award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs last week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to answer
The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - yes Miami had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the league's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two scores
Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was also key, with Cook and company recording just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the season and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team from the situation - not the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've seen this season
Miami have served up a bit of everything this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East
In Focus - Patriots See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 teams in the league, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the best?
You can pick holes in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their total twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver
Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park appears to be a statement
Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to prepare was huge
Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he definitely earns point for bravery after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to guide his side to success
The defense is solid and rookie rusher Henderson burst onto the scene 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 season on his initial touchdown
Although you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting Baltimore is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to play twice, the Chargers (who could also compete for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There is a long way to go but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Showdown
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different 8-2 teams are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both scored 40 burgers to reach seven and two before the upcoming major game between the two in LA
Both have won four in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a contest
Each could realistically be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their two defeats came in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
Seattle were also defeated 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're truly two of the best sides in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season to date
Player of the Week - Taylor
Jonathan Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and adding another forty-two {receiving yards