Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Route to Top Spot - Highlights 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 championship showdown
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' saying that attracts so many people into the NFL

This outcome may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their 8-2 rivals

Over in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen attempt too much or could it simply have been a poor performance for Buffalo?

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

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

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's opening first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's top offences

Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns

Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was crucial too, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard average

Then there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his final quarter fumble that Miami turned into 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 from the situation - rather than the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Bills we've witnessed this season

The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East

In Focus - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place

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

Speaking of the New England, they're one of three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the best?

You can pick holes in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis really for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their combined 24 wins achieved against opponents with a positive record - and one example was the Indianapolis beating the Denver

Denver defeated the champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a declaration

Their two defeats occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was huge

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he definitely earns point for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his side to victory

The defense is solid and rookie running back Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to exceed 22mph this year on his initial touchdown

While you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which features just one game against a successful opponent, although a significant contest against Buffalo

Visiting Baltimore is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Kansas City to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also compete for first place but face the same problem) and also the Green Bay on the schedule

The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There's a long way to go but the door is available for a shock top seed in the AFC

Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Showdown

Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who both put up 40 burgers to go to 7-2 ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles

They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a contest

Both could easily be without a loss as well - especially 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 game-winning field goal with the last kick deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score

Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely among the best sides in the league

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

Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Taylor is chasing down multiple running and scoring records

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

James Johnson
James Johnson

A wellness coach and mindfulness advocate with over a decade of experience in holistic health practices.