Buffalo's Bay Day Gives New England Route to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen along with Drake Maye will meet in week 15 for what could be an American Football Conference East championship showdown
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Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many people into the NFL

That result could have created opportunities for the Patriots to creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their eight and two competitors

Over in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash next week, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award

Analysis - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen attempt too much or was it just a poor performance for the Bills?

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 row against Miami but were second best from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the team's opening first down in the third quarter and first points in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the league's top offences

Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two scores

Containing the league's best running game was also key, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average

Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the pair from Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to seven points just two plays

It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad out of it - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've seen this season

Miami have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on whether this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East

Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed

TreVeyon Henderson running
TreVeyon Henderson recorded the fifth fastest velocity in the NFL this year

Speaking of the New England, they're one of three 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but are they the top team?

You can find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their total 24 wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Broncos

Denver defeated the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Buffalo appears to be a statement

Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven straight victories, just like the Broncos, since then - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to get ready was significant

Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he certainly deserves credit for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his side to success

The defense is reliable and first-year rusher Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to break 22mph this season on his first score

While you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to end with the top record thanks to their schedule - which features just one game against a successful opponent, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo

Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who might also challenge for first place but face the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the schedule

The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There is a considerable distance to travel but the door is available for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference

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

Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different eight and two teams are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each put up 40 burgers to go to 7-2 ahead of next week's major game between the two in Los Angeles

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

Both could realistically be undefeated as well - especially the Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play deflected and returned by the Philadelphia for a score

The Seahawks were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the league

The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year to date

Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor

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

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three scores and adding another forty-two {receiving yards

James Palmer
James Palmer

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their societal impacts.