Buffalo's Disappointing Performance Opens Patriots Path to Top Spot - Best of Week 10 NFL Action

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

That result 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 advantage over their eight and two rivals

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

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for the Bills?

Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs the previous week or a deeper issue? That's the question for the Bills to address

The Buffalo squad had won seven in a consecutive games against the Dolphins but were second best from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising outcome - and display

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

Tua Tagovailoa threw two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns

Bottling up the NFL's top rushing attack was also key, with Cook and teammates recording just eighty-six yards, their lowest of the season and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5 yard season average

Then there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Allen specifically. An pass caught by defense in the end zone resulting in a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that the Dolphins converted to a touchdown just two plays

It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defense and Josh Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team from the situation - not the composed, controlled, balanced Buffalo team we've seen this season

The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this season so the verdict is uncertain on whether this is the start of a trend, but for Buffalo they'll require an instant response in a tough game against Tampa Bay next week as the New England are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the American Football Conference East

In Focus - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place

Speaking of the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all AFC sides, but are they the top team?

One could find flaws in the Patriots, the Broncos and the Colts really for dominating the weaker opponents, with just five of their combined twenty-four wins coming against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Colts beating the Denver

Denver defeated the reigning champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Jonathan Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Buffalo appears to be a statement

Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven straight victories, just like the Broncos, from that point - but defeating Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was significant

Drake Maye's MVP claims continue to be discussed, and he definitely deserves point for bravery after taking some hard tackles in Tampa Bay but persevering to steer his team to victory

The defensive unit is reliable and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson burst onto the scene on Sunday with 147 yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth different runner to exceed 22 miles per hour this year on his first score

While you can argue who 'the top team' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to end with the best record due to their schedule - which includes just one game against a winning team, although a huge one against the Bills

Visiting 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 might also challenge for first place but face the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the fixture list

The Indianapolis also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jacksonville to face. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference

Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Week 11 Clash

Two teams with solid claims to be superior to all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West opponents the Seahawks and Rams, who each scored forty points to go to seven and two before next week's Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in LA

They've both secured four victories in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold performing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on Sunday) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units giving up under 20 points a game

Each could realistically be undefeated as well - especially the Los Angeles as their two defeats occurred in overtime against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the final play deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score

Seattle also lost to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in week one, before falling to the last kick of the game against the Buccaneers - so they're truly two of the top teams in the league

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

Top Performer - Jonathan Taylor

Taylor might be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - rushing for 244 yards, scoring three scores and adding another 42 {receiving yards