🔗 Share this article

Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a huge upset for the Bills proving the 'any given Sunday' mantra that attracts so many people into the National Football League

That result could have created opportunities for the New England Patriots to creep back into a leading position they formerly held, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two rivals

Over in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash in week 11, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the MVP award

The Breakdown - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?

Could it simply have been an emotional comedown from beating the Chiefs last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Bills to address

The Buffalo squad had won seven in a row against the Dolphins but were second best from the beginning as the Miami team emerged as 30-13 victors in an surprising outcome - and display

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

Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 combined yards and two touchdowns

Containing the league's best rushing attack was also key, with James Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and just over half their 161.5 yard average

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

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

Miami have served up a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on whether 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 New England are quietly moving into a nice lead at the summit of the AFC East

In Focus - New England Identify Route to Unexpected First Place

Regarding the Patriots, they're among three different eight and two squads in the NFL, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the best?

You can pick holes in New England, the Broncos and the Colts really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with just five of their combined 24 wins achieved against teams with a winning record - and one of those was the Colts beating the Denver

The Broncos defeated the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the fourth-quarter while Indy can ride Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's win in Tampa Bay to their prime time success in Buffalo appears to be a statement

Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive victories, similar to Denver, from that point - but taking down Baker Mayfield after the Bucs had a week off to prepare was huge

Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials continue to be discussed, and he certainly earns credit for bravery after taking some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to guide his team to victory

The defensive unit is solid and first-year rusher Henderson burst onto the scene on game day with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating scores of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to break 22 miles per hour this season on his first score

Although you can debate who 'the best' is statistically, 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, albeit a significant contest against Buffalo

Traveling to the Ravens is challenging too, but the Broncos have it even tougher in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but encounter the same problem) and also the Packers on the schedule

The Indianapolis also play the Chiefs, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two matchups with the 5-4 Jacksonville to face. There's a considerable distance to travel but the opportunity is available for a shock top seed in the American Football Conference

Next Week - Los Angeles and Seattle Prepare for Week 11 Showdown

Both squads with solid claims to be better than all of the three 8-2 sides are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Los Angeles, who both scored 40 burgers to reach seven and two ahead of the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster meeting between the pair in Los Angeles

They've both won four in a row, have quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Darnold playing at an elite level (although Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defensive units allowing under 20 points a contest

Each could easily be without a loss as well - especially the Los Angeles as their two defeats came in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a game-winning kick with the last kick blocked and returned by the Philadelphia for a score

The Seahawks also lost to the 49ers, with a late touchdown in week one, before losing to the last kick of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly among the best sides in the NFL

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

Player of the Week - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a record season after his remarkable performance in Germany - running for 244 yards, scoring three touchdowns and contributing an additional 42 {receiving yards