Bills' Disappointing Performance Opens New England Path to Top Spot - Best of NFL Week 10

Week 10 again delivered, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' saying that draws so many fans into the NFL

That result may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a remaining games that provides them an edge over their 8-2 rivals

Over in the National Football Conference the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our player of the week is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award

Analysis - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?

Was it just an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Buffalo team to answer

The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising result - and performance

MVP Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - admittedly Miami had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a massive egg laid by one of the NFL's top offences

Tua Tagovailoa threw two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 combined yards and two scores

Bottling up the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5-yard average

Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the pair from Josh Allen in particular. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter fumble that Miami turned into a touchdown just two plays

It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a deficit on defensive side and Allen attempting to overcompensate to dig his team from the situation - not the calm, disciplined, balanced Bills we've witnessed this year

Miami have served up a varied performances this season so the jury's out on if this is the start of a trend, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against the Buccaneers in week 11 as the Patriots are sneaking into a nice lead at the summit of the American Football Conference East

Spotlight - New England Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed

Regarding the Patriots, they're among three 8-2 teams in the league, all AFC teams, but are they the best?

You can pick holes in New England, Denver and the Colts really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their total twenty-four wins achieved 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 kings of the final quarter while Indy can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime success in Buffalo appears to be a declaration

Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three contests, with seven consecutive victories, just like the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to get ready was huge

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves point for bravery after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa but hanging in there to steer his side to victory

The defense is solid and first-year rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to exceed 22mph this year on his initial touchdown

While you can argue who 'the best' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the best record thanks to their remaining opponents - which includes just one game against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo

Traveling to the Ravens is also tough, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Kansas City to play twice, the Los Angeles Chargers (who could also challenge for top seed but encounter the same problem) and also the Packers on the schedule

The Colts also play the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to go but the door is available for a surprise number one position in the AFC

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Clash

Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three different eight and two teams are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both scored 40 burgers to reach seven and two before the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the two in LA

They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an high standard (although Darnold had turnover issues on Sunday) with top receivers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a contest

Both could easily be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their pair of losses occurred in overtime 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 Eagles for a touchdown

Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they are truly among the best sides in the NFL

The next matchup on Sunday could be the best of the year so far

Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three scores and adding another 42 {receiving yards