Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Gives New England Path to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen along with Drake Maye will meet in week 15 for what could be an American Football Conference East championship showdown
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the National Football League

This outcome 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 eight and two rivals

Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles 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 Most Valuable Player award

The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen try too much or was it just a poor performance for the Bills?

Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address

The Bills had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising outcome - and display

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third period and initial scoring in the fourth - yes Miami had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the league's best offenses

Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns

Containing the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and slightly more than half their 161.5 yard average

Then there were the three critical turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter fumble that the Dolphins turned into a touchdown just two plays

It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defense and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad from the situation - not the calm, controlled, balanced Bills we've witnessed this year

Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the New England are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the American Football Conference East

Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Unexpected First Place

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

Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different 8-2 squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the top team?

You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts actually for feasting on the weaker opponents, with just five of their combined 24 victories achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver

Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Buffalo seems like a statement

Their two defeats occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, just like the Broncos, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to get ready was significant

Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his side to success

The defense is reliable and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exciting touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth runner to break 22mph this season on his first score

Although you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo

Visiting Baltimore is also tough, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list

The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There is a long way to go but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the AFC

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Clash

Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three different 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who each put up 40 burgers to reach seven and two before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in LA

Both have won four in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units giving up fewer than twenty points a game

Each could realistically be undefeated as too - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown

The Seahawks were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely two of the top teams in the NFL

The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date

Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor

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

Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards

Lisa Galloway
Lisa Galloway

A passionate storyteller and digital content creator with a background in creative writing and journalism.