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

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye are scheduled to face in the fifteenth week for what could be an AFC East championship showdown
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Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that attracts so many fans into the National Football League

That result may have opened opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their eight and two rivals

Over in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the MVP award

The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen attempt too much or could it simply have been 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 answer

The Bills had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and display

MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's opening first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - yes Miami had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a massive egg produced by one of the league's best offenses

Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two scores

Containing the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with James Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and just over half their 161.5 yard average

Additionally there were the three critical turnovers, and the pair from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins turned into seven points just two plays

It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team out of it - not the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Bills we've seen this year

The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the AFC East

Spotlight - New England See Path to Surprise Top Seed

TreVeyon Henderson running
TreVeyon Henderson recorded the fifth quickest velocity in the league this season

Speaking of the New England, they're among three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC teams, 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 total twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos

The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime win in Buffalo seems like a statement

Their pair of losses occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was significant

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely earns point for courage after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa but hanging in there to guide his team to victory

The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown

Although you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which features just one game against a winning team, although a significant contest against Buffalo

Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the fixture list

The Colts also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There is a long way to go but the door is open for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference

Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Week 11 Showdown

Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three eight and two teams are National Football Conference West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each scored forty points to reach seven and two ahead of next week's major game between the two in LA

They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses allowing under 20 points a contest

Both could realistically be undefeated as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their two defeats came in overtime against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick blocked and returned by the Eagles for a score

Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the final play of the contest against the Tampa Bay - 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 - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Jonathan Taylor is pursuing several rushing and touchdown milestones

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

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