Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Gives Patriots Path to AFC East Lead - Highlights of Week 10 NFL Action

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen and Drake Maye will meet in week 15 for potentially an American Football Conference East title decider
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Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that draws so many people into the NFL

This outcome could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors

Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer 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 could it simply have been a poor performance for Buffalo?

Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer

The Bills had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins ran out 30-13 victors in an eye-opening outcome - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and initial scoring in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's top offences

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

Bottling up the league's best running game was crucial too, with Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and just over fifty percent 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 scoring area resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to a touchdown just later

It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they hurt 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 - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've seen this season

Miami have demonstrated a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the beginning of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East

In Focus - Patriots Identify Route to Unexpected First Place

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

Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three eight and two teams in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the best?

One could find flaws in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their total twenty-four wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Broncos

Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime win in Buffalo seems like a declaration

Their two defeats occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive victories, similar to Denver, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a bye to get ready was significant

Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he certainly deserves credit for bravery after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his side to success

The defensive unit is reliable and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to break 22mph this season on his initial touchdown

While you can debate who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the best record thanks to their remaining opponents - which features just one game against a winning team, although a significant contest against the Bills

Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Kansas City to play twice, the Chargers (who could also compete for first place but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Packers on the schedule

The Indianapolis also play the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There's a considerable distance to go but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Showdown

Two teams with solid claims to be better than all of the three 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to go to seven and two ahead of next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in Los Angeles

They've both won four in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses allowing fewer than twenty points a contest

Both could realistically be undefeated as well - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses came in overtime 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 touchdown

The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the NFL

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

Player of the Week - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Taylor is chasing down multiple rushing and scoring milestones

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, scoring three scores and adding another forty-two {receiving yards

Don Davila
Don Davila

A seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in casino entertainment and slot machine mechanics.