Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Route to AFC East Lead - Best of NFL Week 10
- Published:
- Comments: 3
Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many fans into the National Football League
That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an edge over their 8-2 competitors
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Analysis - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Bills to address
The Bills had won seven in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Miami team emerged as 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 the Dolphins had 10 days to get ready but it was still a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but rusher De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best running game was also key, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5 yard season average
Then there were the three critical turnovers, and the pair from Josh Allen in particular. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine-minute drive produced nothing, and his fourth-quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to a touchdown just two plays
It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defense and Allen trying to do too much to rescue his squad out of it - rather than the composed, controlled, balanced Bills we've witnessed this season
The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on whether this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the New England, they're one of three 8-2 squads in the NFL, all AFC sides, but are they the top team?
One could pick holes in New England, the Broncos and the Colts actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with only five of their combined twenty-four victories coming against teams with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like Denver, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to get ready was significant
Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he definitely deserves point for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his side to victory
The defense is solid and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to break 22mph this year on his initial touchdown
Although you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Patriots should be favorites to end with the best record thanks to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, albeit a huge one against the Bills
Visiting Baltimore is also tough, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the same problem) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also play the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There is a long way to travel but the opportunity is available for a shock number one position in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Clash
Both squads with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different eight and two sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who both scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster game between the pair in Los Angeles
They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a game
Each could easily be without a loss as well - 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 field goal with the last kick deflected and returned by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
Seattle were also defeated to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in week one, before falling to the final play of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly two of the top teams in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the year so far
Top Performer - Taylor
Taylor might be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 yards, registering three touchdowns and contributing another 42 {receiving yards