Bills' Bay Day Opens New England Path to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
- Published:
- Comments: 3
Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that draws so many people into the National Football League
That result may have opened things up for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that provides them an edge over their eight and two rivals
Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the MVP award
The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to address
The Bills had won seven in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the beginning as the Miami team ran out 30-13 winners in an eye-opening result - and display
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's initial first down in the third period and first points in the fourth - yes the Dolphins had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a massive egg produced by one of the NFL's top offences
Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores
Containing the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with Cook and company registering just eighty-six yards, their fewest of the season and just over half their 161.5 yard season average
Additionally there were the three critical turnovers, and the pair from Allen specifically. An interception in the scoring area resulting in a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to seven points just later
It was classic 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to rescue his squad out of it - not the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year
The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this year so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East
Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two squads in the league, all AFC sides, but are they the top team?
You can find flaws in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis really for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their combined twenty-four wins achieved against teams with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos
Denver beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England adding Sunday's victory in Tampa to their primtime success in Buffalo appears to be a statement
Their pair of losses came in recently appointed coach Mike Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven straight victories, just like the Broncos, since then - but taking down Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a bye to prepare was huge
Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he definitely earns point for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to guide his team to victory
The defense is reliable and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to exceed 22mph this year on his first score
While you can debate who 'the best' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the best record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a winning team, although a significant contest against the Bills
Visiting the Ravens is also tough, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West division with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There's a long way to travel but the opportunity is available for a surprise number one position in the American Football Conference
Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Clash
Two teams with strong arguments to be better than all of the three 8-2 teams are National Football Conference West rivals the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both scored 40 burgers to reach 7-2 before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in Los Angeles
Both have won four in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a game
Each could realistically be without a loss as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their two defeats occurred in extra time against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a game-winning field goal with the last kick deflected and returned by the Eagles for a score
Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before losing to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season to date
Player of the Week - Taylor
Taylor could be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - rushing for 244 rushing yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding an additional 42 {receiving yards