Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Gives New England Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a huge upset 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 New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their eight and two rivals
Over in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs last week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were second best from the start as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 winners in an eye-opening result - and performance
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - yes Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two scores but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Containing the NFL's top running game was also key, with James Cook and company recording just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard average
Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into a touchdown just two plays
It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad from the situation - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this season
Miami have served up a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on whether this is the start of something, but for the Bills they'll require an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England See Path to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three 8-2 teams in the league, all AFC sides, but are they the best?
One could find flaws in New England, Denver and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their combined twenty-four victories coming against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven straight wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves point for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his side to victory
The defense is solid and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth ball carrier to exceed 22mph this season on his first score
Although you can debate who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo
Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the schedule
The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There is a considerable distance to go but the door is available for a surprise number one position in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Week 11 Clash
Both squads with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West rivals the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both put up 40 burgers to reach seven and two before next week's major meeting between the two in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a game
Each could realistically be without a loss as too - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score
Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in week one, before losing to the last kick of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely two of the best sides in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding another 42 {receiving yards