Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye are scheduled to face in the fifteenth week for what could be an AFC East championship showdown
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Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many people into the NFL

That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors

Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash in week 11, 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
Was Josh Allen try too much or was it just a poor performance for Buffalo?

Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to address

The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the beginning as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising outcome - and display

MVP Josh Allen only got the team's opening first down in the third quarter and first points in the fourth - admittedly Miami had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's top offences

Tua Tagovailoa passed for two touchdowns but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns

Containing the league's best rushing attack was also key, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average

Additionally there were the three crucial turnovers, and the pair from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area meaning a nine-minute possession produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to seven points 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 - rather than the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this season

Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East

In Focus - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place

TreVeyon Henderson running
Henderson clocked the fifth fastest speed in the NFL this year

Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different 8-2 teams in the NFL, all AFC teams, but could they be the best?

You can pick holes in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their total twenty-four wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Denver

The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime win in Orchard Park appears to be a declaration

Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven straight victories, just like the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was huge

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

The defense is reliable and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22mph this year on his initial touchdown

While you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Patriots should be favourites to finish with the best record due to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against the Bills

Traveling to the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Kansas City to play twice, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but encounter the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list

The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There is a considerable distance to travel but the door is open for a surprise number one position in the American Football Conference

Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Next Week Clash

Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three 8-2 teams are NFC West opponents the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who each scored 40 burgers to go to 7-2 ahead of next week's major game between the pair in LA

They've both won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units allowing fewer than twenty points a game

Each could realistically be without a loss as too - especially the Rams as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick deflected and returned by the Philadelphia for a score

Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score 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 league

The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the season to date

Player of the Week - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Taylor is chasing down several rushing and touchdown records

Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards

Jason Myers
Jason Myers

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