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

Quarterbacks in action
Josh Allen along with Drake Maye are scheduled to face in the fifteenth week for what could be an AFC East championship showdown
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Week 10 again delivered, with a huge upset for the Buffalo Bills demonstrating the 'any given Sunday' mantra that attracts so many people into the NFL

This outcome may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a leading position they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their eight and two rivals

Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Rams had perfect results to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our player of the week is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?

Josh Allen in action
Was Josh Allen try too much or was it just a poor performance for Buffalo?

Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City last week or something more? That's the question for the Buffalo team to answer

The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were outperformed from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - admittedly Miami had ten days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure laid by one of the NFL's best offenses

Dolphins quarterback Tua threw two scores 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 teammates registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the season and just over half their 161.5-yard average

Additionally there were the three critical ball losses, and the pair from Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter fumble that Miami converted to a touchdown just later

It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defense and Allen attempting to overcompensate to dig his team out of it - rather than the composed, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year

Miami have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on whether this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the New England are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the top of the AFC East

In Focus - New England See Path to Unexpected First Place

TreVeyon Henderson running
TreVeyon Henderson clocked the fifth quickest velocity in the league this year

Regarding the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 teams in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the best?

One could find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis actually for feasting on the lesser sides, with just five of their total twenty-four victories coming against opponents with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Broncos

Denver beat the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their primtime success in Buffalo seems like a statement

Their two defeats occurred in recently appointed coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive victories, similar to Denver, since then - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was significant

Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely earns credit for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his team to success

The defensive unit is reliable and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exciting scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to break 22mph this season on his first score

Although you can argue who 'the best' is statistically, the Pats should be favourites to end with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which features just one game against a successful opponent, although a huge one against Buffalo

Visiting the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, 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 face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, 49ers and two matchups with the five and four Jaguars to contend with. There's a long way to go but the door is open for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference

Coming Up - Los Angeles and Seattle Set for Next Week Showdown

Two teams with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three eight and two teams are NFC West opponents the Seattle and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to go to seven and two before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in Los Angeles

Both have secured four victories in a consecutive games, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a game

Both could easily be undefeated as too - especially the Rams as their two defeats occurred in overtime 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 run back by the Eagles for a score

Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly two of the best sides in the league

The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the season to date

Player of the Week - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor running
Taylor is chasing down several running and touchdown milestones

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Berlin - running for 244 yards, registering three touchdowns and adding another 42 {receiving yards

Tommy Aguirre
Tommy Aguirre

Lena Weber is a seasoned journalist and blogger based in Berlin, focusing on German politics and social trends with a passion for storytelling.