Bills' Bay Day Gives New England Path to Top Spot - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action
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Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' saying that draws so many people into the National Football League
That result may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a remaining games that provides them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the National Football Conference 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 Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?
Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Bills had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were second best from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and display
MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a significant failure laid by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Containing the league's best rushing attack was also key, with Cook and teammates registering just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the pair from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive produced nothing, and his final quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to seven points just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt 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 - rather than the composed, controlled, well-balanced Bills we've seen this season
Miami have served up a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different 8-2 squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in New England, the Broncos and the Colts actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their combined 24 wins achieved against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Broncos
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time success in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration
Their pair of losses came in new head coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven straight wins, similar to Denver, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he certainly earns credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his team to success
The defensive unit is solid and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to break 22mph this season on his first score
Although you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the top record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a huge one against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Chiefs 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 fixture list
The Colts also play the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is available for a shock number one position in the AFC
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three eight and two teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's major meeting between the two in LA
They've both won four 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 defensive units giving up fewer than twenty points a game
Both could realistically be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the last kick blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they are genuinely among the best sides in the NFL
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year so far
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - rushing for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards