Buffalo's Bay Day Opens New England Route to AFC East Lead - Highlights of NFL Week 10

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and 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 given Sunday' mantra that attracts so many fans into the National Football League

That result could have created opportunities for the Patriots to creep back into a top spot they formerly held, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their 8-2 rivals

Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a monster clash in week 11, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the MVP award

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?

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

Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to answer

The Buffalo squad had won seven in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an eye-opening outcome - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's opening first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - yes Miami had ten days to prepare but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's best offenses

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

Bottling up the NFL's top running game was also key, with James Cook and company registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and just over half their 161.5 yard season average

Then there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Josh Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone meaning a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his final quarter fumble that Miami converted to a touchdown just later

It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they hurt themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defensive side and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad from the situation - not the calm, controlled, balanced Bills 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 a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East

In Focus - Patriots See Path to Surprise Top Seed

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

Regarding the New England, they're among three different 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference sides, but could they be the top team?

One could find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts really for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined twenty-four victories achieved against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Colts defeating the Broncos

The Broncos defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a statement

Their two defeats came in recently appointed coach 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 bye to prepare was significant

Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his side to victory

The defense is reliable and first-year running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his first score

Although you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Patriots should be favourites to finish 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 the Ravens 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 top seed but face the same problem) and also the Packers on the schedule

The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There is a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is available for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Next Week Showdown

Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West rivals the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who both scored forty points to reach seven and two before next week's major meeting between the two in Los Angeles

They've both won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units allowing fewer than twenty points a game

Both could easily be without a loss as too - particularly the Rams as their two defeats occurred in overtime against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick deflected and returned by the Eagles for a touchdown

The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before losing to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely among the top teams in the NFL

The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season so far

Top Performer - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Taylor is chasing down several running and scoring milestones

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three scores and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards

David Mitchell
David Mitchell

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