Bills' Bay Day Gives New England Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
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The tenth week again delivered, with a major surprise for the Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the NFL
This outcome could have created things up for the Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an edge over their 8-2 rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to address
The Bills had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 winners in an eye-opening result - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - yes Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5 yard average
Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, 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 deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad from the situation - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
Miami have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on whether this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the top team?
You can pick holes in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis really for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their combined twenty-four victories coming against teams with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Broncos
Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Orchard Park appears to be a statement
Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was huge
Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves point for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his team to victory
The defensive unit is reliable and first-year running back Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22 miles per hour this season on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to finish with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a winning team, albeit a huge one against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Kansas City to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and also the Green Bay on the schedule
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 teams are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of the upcoming major game between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a game
Both could realistically be undefeated as well - especially the Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks were also defeated to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in week one, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely among the top teams in the NFL
The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year to date
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - running for 244 yards, registering three touchdowns and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards