Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Gives New England Path to Top Spot - Highlights of NFL Week 10
- Published:
- Comments: 3
Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many fans into the NFL
That result may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their 8-2 competitors
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to set up a major confrontation in week 11, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs last week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to answer
The Bills had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance
MVP Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - admittedly Miami had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the league's top offences
Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two scores but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two scores
Containing the league's best running game was also key, with James Cook and company recording just eighty-six 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 specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his final quarter fumble that Miami turned into a touchdown just two plays
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Allen attempting to overcompensate to rescue his squad out of it - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a bit of everything this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the beginning 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 nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
In Focus - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed
Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three eight and two squads in the league, all AFC sides, but could they be the top team?
One could find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and the Colts really for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their combined 24 wins coming against teams with a winning record - and one example was the Colts defeating the Broncos
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime win in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their pair of losses came in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, from that point - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to get ready was significant
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 defensive unit is solid and first-year running back Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the best record thanks to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a winning team, albeit a huge one against the Bills
Visiting Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it even tougher in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also challenge for top seed but face the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is open for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with solid claims to be better than 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 ahead of next week's major meeting between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an elite level (although Sam 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 Los Angeles as their pair of losses occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play blocked and run back by the Eagles for a score
Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely among the best sides in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the season so far
Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards