Buffalo's Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye will meet in the fifteenth week for what could be an AFC East title decider
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many fans into the NFL

This outcome could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their 8-2 competitors

Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award

Analysis - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?

Josh Allen in action
Did Josh Allen try too much or was it just a poor performance for Buffalo?

Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer

The Bills had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an eye-opening result - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the final quarter - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's best offenses

Tua Tagovailoa passed for two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns

Containing the NFL's top rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5 yard season average

Then there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone meaning a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to a touchdown just later

It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad from the situation - not the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Bills we've witnessed this year

The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on whether this is the start of something, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the top of the AFC East

Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed

TreVeyon Henderson running
Henderson recorded the fifth quickest velocity in the league this year

Speaking of the New England, they're among three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the best?

One could pick holes in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts actually for feasting on the weaker opponents, with just five of their total twenty-four victories achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Colts beating the Denver

Denver defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time success in Orchard Park appears to be a statement

Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven straight wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to get ready was huge

Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he certainly deserves point for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his side to victory

The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth ball carrier to exceed 22mph this year on his initial touchdown

While you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the best record thanks to their schedule - which features just one game against a successful opponent, although a huge one against Buffalo

Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also challenge for top seed but encounter the same problem) and also the Green Bay on the schedule

The Indianapolis also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There's a considerable distance to travel but the door is open for a surprise number one position in the AFC

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Showdown

Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three eight and two teams are National Football Conference West rivals the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who both scored forty points to go to 7-2 ahead of the upcoming major meeting between the two in LA

They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Stafford and Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units giving up fewer than twenty points a game

Each could easily be without a loss as too - particularly the Rams as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play deflected and run back by the Eagles for a touchdown

Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they're truly among the top teams in the NFL

The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date

Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Jonathan Taylor is pursuing multiple running and touchdown records

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding another forty-two {receiving yards

Ray Conway
Ray Conway

A tech enthusiast and gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.

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