Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Best of Week 10 NFL Action

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye will meet in week 15 for potentially an American Football Conference East championship showdown
  • Published:
  • Comments: 3

Week 10 again delivered, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many fans into the NFL

That result may have opened things up for the Patriots to creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an advantage over their eight and two competitors

Over in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen try too much or was it just a poor performance for Buffalo?

Was it just an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer

The Bills had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and display

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

Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but running back Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns

Containing the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard average

Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that Miami converted to a touchdown just two plays

It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad out of it - not the composed, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year

Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on if this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the New England are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East

In Focus - New England Identify Route to Unexpected First Place

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

Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three eight and two teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the best?

You can pick holes in New England, Denver and the Colts actually for dominating the lesser sides, with only five of their combined 24 victories achieved against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver

Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Orchard Park seems like a statement

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

Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely deserves point for bravery after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his team to success

The defense is reliable and first-year rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth runner to exceed 22mph this year on his initial touchdown

While you can argue who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the best record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a huge one against the Bills

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

The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jaguars to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the AFC

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Clash

Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different eight and two sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Rams, who each put up 40 burgers to reach 7-2 before next week's major meeting between the two in LA

Both have won four in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defensive units giving up under 20 points a game

Both could realistically be undefeated as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick blocked and returned by the Eagles for a touchdown

The Seahawks were also defeated to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before losing to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly among the top teams in the NFL

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

Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Jonathan Taylor is chasing down several rushing 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 contributing another forty-two {receiving yards

Anthony Hernandez
Anthony Hernandez

A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in gaming analysis and player optimization techniques.