Bills' Bay Day Opens Patriots Route to AFC East Lead - Highlights 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 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that draws so many fans into the NFL

This outcome could have created things up for the Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors

Meanwhile 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 - Simply an Off Day for the Bills?

Josh Allen in action
Did Josh Allen attempt too much or was it just a bad day for Buffalo?

Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from beating the Chiefs last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address

The Bills had won seven in a row against Miami but were second best from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the fourth - admittedly Miami had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the NFL's best offenses

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

Containing the NFL's top running game was also key, with James Cook and company recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and just over half their 161.5-yard season average

Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine-minute possession produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to a touchdown just later

It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defensive side and Allen trying to do too much to dig his team out of it - rather than the composed, disciplined, balanced Bills we've witnessed this season

The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the jury's out on whether this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the AFC East

In Focus - New England See Path to Surprise Top Seed

TreVeyon Henderson running
Henderson clocked the fifth fastest speed in the league this year

Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three different 8-2 teams in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the best?

You can pick holes in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their total twenty-four wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Denver

Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Buffalo appears to be a declaration

Their two defeats came in new head coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like the Broncos, from that point - but taking down Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to prepare was huge

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly deserves credit for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his team to victory

The defense is reliable and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to exceed 22mph this season on his first score

While you can argue who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the top record thanks to their remaining opponents - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against the Bills

Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Kansas City to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the schedule

The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There is a considerable distance to travel but the door is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference

Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Week 11 Clash

Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three eight and two sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to go to seven and two before next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the two in LA

Both have secured four victories in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units giving up fewer than twenty points a game

Both could easily be without a loss as too - particularly the Rams as their two defeats came in overtime against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a touchdown

The Seahawks were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely among the best sides in the NFL

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

Top Performer - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Taylor is pursuing several rushing and touchdown records

Jonathan Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Berlin - running for 244 yards, registering three scores and adding another 42 {receiving yards

Robert Martin
Robert Martin

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in tech consulting, passionate about helping businesses leverage emerging technologies for sustainable growth.