Bills' Bay Day Gives Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Best of NFL Week 10
- Published:
- Comments: 3
Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' saying that attracts so many fans into the NFL
This outcome may have opened opportunities for the 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 National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - yes Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the league's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the NFL's top running game was also key, with James Cook and company registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5 yard season average
Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine-minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into seven points just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen trying to overcompensate to rescue his squad from the situation - not the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
Miami have served up a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers next week as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the New England, they're among three different 8-2 teams in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts really for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their combined 24 victories coming against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Colts beating the Denver
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their two defeats came in new head coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely earns credit for courage after taking some savage hits in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his team to victory
The defense is solid and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to break 22mph this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the best' is statistically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a huge one against the Bills
Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who might also challenge for first place but encounter the same problem) and additionally the Packers on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There is a long way to go but the door is available for a surprise number one position in the AFC
Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Clash
Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who each scored forty points to reach 7-2 ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a contest
Each could easily be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses came in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a score
The Seahawks were also defeated 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 truly among the top teams in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the year to date
Player of the Week - Taylor
Jonathan Taylor could be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three scores and adding another 42 {receiving yards