Bills' Disappointing Performance Gives Patriots Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye are scheduled to face in week 15 for what could be an AFC East title decider
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many people into the NFL

That result could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that gives them an advantage over their 8-2 rivals

Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the MVP award

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?

Josh Allen in action
Did Josh Allen attempt too much or was it just a bad day for Buffalo?

Was it just an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to answer

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

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's opening first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a significant failure laid by one of the league's top offences

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

Containing the league's best running game was crucial too, with Cook and teammates registering just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard average

Additionally there were the three crucial turnovers, and the pair from Josh Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area meaning a nine-minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later

It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - rather than the calm, disciplined, well-balanced Bills we've seen this season

The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the start of something, 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 - New England See Path to Unexpected First Place

TreVeyon Henderson running
Henderson clocked the fifth fastest velocity in the NFL this season

Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 teams in the league, all AFC teams, but could they be the top team?

One could find flaws in New England, the Broncos and the Colts really for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their combined twenty-four victories coming against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Indianapolis beating the Broncos

The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time win in Orchard Park seems like a statement

Their pair of losses came in new head coach Mike Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive victories, similar to the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to get ready was significant

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly earns point for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa but persevering to guide his team to victory

The defense is reliable and rookie running back Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this season on his first score

While you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Patriots should be favourites to finish with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a huge one against the Bills

Traveling to the Ravens is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the same problem) and additionally the Packers on the fixture list

The Indianapolis also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There's a long way to travel but the door is open for a shock top seed in the AFC

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Showdown

Both squads with strong arguments to be better than all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who both scored forty points to go to seven and two ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles

They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a game

Each could realistically be without a loss as too - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses came 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 blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a score

The Seahawks were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are truly among the top teams in the league

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

Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Jonathan Taylor is pursuing several running and scoring milestones

Taylor might be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, scoring three scores and adding another forty-two {receiving yards

James Stephenson
James Stephenson

A Berlin-based writer and cultural enthusiast with a passion for uncovering hidden gems in German cities and sharing travel experiences.