Bills' Bay Day Gives Patriots Route to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action
- Published:
- Comments: 3
Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that attracts so many people into the National Football League
That result may have opened things up for the New England Patriots to creep back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an advantage over their eight and two rivals
Meanwhile in the NFC the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a monster clash next week, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award
Analysis - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?
Was it just an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and display
MVP Josh Allen only got the team's opening first down in the third quarter and first points in the fourth - yes Miami 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 passed for two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Bottling up the league's best running game was crucial too, with James Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and just over half their 161.5-yard average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the scoring area resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that Miami converted to seven points just later
It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defense and Allen trying to do too much to dig his team out of it - not the composed, disciplined, well-balanced Buffalo team we've seen this year
Miami have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are sneaking into a nice lead at the top of the American Football Conference East
Spotlight - Patriots Identify Route to Unexpected First Place
Regarding the Patriots, they're among three eight and two teams in the league, all AFC teams, but could they be the top team?
One could find flaws in New England, the Broncos and Indianapolis actually for dominating the weaker opponents, with just five of their total 24 victories achieved against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Colts beating the Denver
The Broncos defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philly and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa to their primtime success in Orchard Park seems like a statement
Their two defeats occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's initial three games, with seven straight victories, similar to the Broncos, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was significant
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely deserves point for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to steer his side to victory
The defensive unit is solid and first-year running back Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth different ball carrier to break 22 miles per hour this season on his first score
While you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Pats should be favorites to finish with the top record due to their schedule - which features just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a huge one against Buffalo
Traveling to Baltimore is also tough, 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 first place but encounter the identical challenge) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Indianapolis also face the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two games with the 5-4 Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to go but the opportunity is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference
Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Showdown
Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Los Angeles, who both scored forty points to reach seven and two before next week's Hollywood blockbuster game between the two in LA
Both have won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a contest
Each could easily be undefeated as well - especially the Rams as their two defeats occurred in overtime against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick deflected 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 final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they are genuinely two of the top teams in the league
The upcoming game on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season so far
Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding another forty-two {receiving yards