Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens New England Route to Top Spot - Highlights of NFL Week 10

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye will meet in the fifteenth week for what could be an AFC East title decider
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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' saying that draws so many people into the National Football League

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

Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to set up a major confrontation next week, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award

The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen attempt too much or could it simply have been a bad day for the Bills?

Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Bills to answer

The Bills had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and performance

MVP Josh Allen only achieved the team's initial first down in the third period and initial scoring in the final quarter - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's best offenses

Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns

Bottling up the league's best running game was also key, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and just over half their 161.5-yard average

Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that Miami turned into seven points just later

It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Josh Allen trying to do too much to rescue his squad from the situation - not the calm, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this season

The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the summit of the American Football Conference East

In Focus - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place

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

Speaking of the New England, they're one of three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC teams, but could they be the best?

You can pick holes in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined 24 wins achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Denver

Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's victory in Tampa to their prime time success in Orchard Park seems like a declaration

Their pair of losses came in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was huge

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he certainly earns credit for courage after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his side to success

The defensive unit is solid and first-year running back TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to break 22 miles per hour this year on his initial touchdown

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

Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Kansas City to play twice, the Chargers (who might also compete for top seed but encounter the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the fixture list

The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to face. There is a long way to go but the opportunity is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference

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

Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three eight and two teams are NFC West rivals the Seahawks and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to reach seven and two ahead of the upcoming major meeting between the two in LA

They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units giving up under 20 points a contest

Each could realistically be without a loss as too - especially the Rams as their pair of losses came in overtime against the San Francisco and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score

The Seahawks also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely among the top teams in the league

The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the season so far

Player of the Week - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Jonathan Taylor is pursuing multiple rushing and scoring milestones

Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - rushing for 244 yards, registering three scores and contributing an additional forty-two {receiving yards

Joseph Harris
Joseph Harris

A film critic and entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience covering Hollywood and indie cinema.