Buffalo's Bay Day Gives New England Route to AFC East Lead - Best of NFL Week 10

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye will meet in week 15 for potentially an AFC East championship showdown
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The tenth week again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the NFL

That result may have opened opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that provides them an edge over their 8-2 competitors

Over in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the MVP award

Analysis - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?

Josh Allen in action
Did Josh Allen attempt too much or could it simply have been a poor performance for the Bills?

Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to answer

The Bills had secured seven victories in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 winners in an eye-opening outcome - and display

MVP Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - admittedly Miami had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the league's top offences

Tua Tagovailoa passed for two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns

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

Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to a touchdown just two plays

It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - not the calm, controlled, well-balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this season

The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East

Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place

TreVeyon Henderson running
TreVeyon Henderson recorded the fifth fastest velocity in the league this season

Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the top team?

You can pick holes in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts really for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their total twenty-four wins achieved against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver

The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a declaration

Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to get ready was significant

Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he certainly deserves point for courage after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his side to success

The defense is solid and first-year rusher Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown

While you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Patriots should be favorites to finish with the top record thanks to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against the Bills

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

The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is available for a surprise number one position in the AFC

Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Showdown

Both squads with strong arguments to be better than all of the three different 8-2 teams are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both scored forty points to go to 7-2 ahead of the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in LA

They've both won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a game

Each could easily be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play blocked and run back by the Eagles for a score

Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely two of the top teams in the league

The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the season so far

Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Jonathan Taylor is chasing down multiple rushing and scoring milestones

Jonathan Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 yards, registering three scores and contributing another forty-two {receiving yards

Erin Davis
Erin Davis

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online slots, specializing in strategy development and game mechanics.