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

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

This outcome may have opened opportunities for the New England Patriots to move back into a top spot they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their eight and two competitors

Meanwhile in the National Football Conference the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had perfect results to set up a major confrontation next week, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award

Analysis - Just a Bad Day for Buffalo?

Was it just an emotional letdown 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 Miami but were outperformed from the beginning as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an surprising outcome - and performance

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and first points in the final quarter - yes the Dolphins had ten days to get ready but it was still a massive egg laid by one of the league's best offenses

Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but rusher Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two scores

Bottling up the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with Cook and teammates registering just 86 yards, their fewest of the season and just over fifty percent their 161.5-yard season average

Then there were the three crucial turnovers, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone meaning a nine minute possession produced nothing, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later

It was typical 'previous Bills teams' as they shot themselves in the foot, falling into a hole on defensive side and Allen trying to overcompensate to dig his team from the situation - rather than the calm, disciplined, balanced Buffalo team we've witnessed this year

The Dolphins have served up a varied performances this year so the verdict is uncertain on if this is the beginning of something, but for the Bills they'll require an immediate bounce-back in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a nice lead at the top of the AFC East

Spotlight - Patriots Identify Route to Surprise Top Seed

Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three 8-2 squads in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but could they be the top team?

You can find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis really for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their total 24 wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one example was the Colts defeating the Denver

The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philly and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Jonathan Taylor, but the New England including Sunday's win in Tampa to their primtime win in Buffalo appears to be a declaration

Their pair of losses came in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three contests, with seven consecutive wins, similar to Denver, since then - but defeating Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was huge

Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he certainly earns credit for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his side to victory

The defense is reliable and rookie rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exhilerating scores of 55 and 69 yards - establishing himself as just the fifth runner to break 22 miles per hour this year on his first score

Although you can debate who 'the top team' is technically, the Pats should be favourites to finish with the top record due to their schedule - which includes just a single matchup against a successful opponent, although a huge one against the Bills

Traveling to the Ravens is also tough, but the Broncos have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to face two times, the Los Angeles Chargers (who might also challenge for first place but face the identical challenge) and also the Packers on the fixture list

The Colts also play the Kansas City, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the 5-4 Jaguars to contend with. There's a considerable distance to go but the door is open for a surprise top seed in the AFC

Next Week - Rams & Seahawks Set for Week 11 Showdown

Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three different 8-2 teams are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Rams, who each scored 40 burgers to go to 7-2 before the upcoming major game between the pair in Los Angeles

They've both secured four victories in a row, have signal callers in Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with excellent pass catchers, and defenses giving up fewer than twenty points a contest

Both could realistically be without a loss as too - especially the Rams as their two defeats came in extra time against the 49ers and then that painful defeat in Philadelphia when they had a potentially winning kick with the last kick deflected and run back by the Philadelphia for a score

The Seahawks were also defeated to San Francisco, with a late touchdown in the opening week, before losing to the last kick of the contest against the Tampa Bay - so they're truly two of the best sides in the league

The upcoming game on Sunday could be the best of the season so far

Player of the Week - Taylor

Jonathan Taylor could be on for a historic year after his incredible display in Berlin - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three touchdowns and adding another 42 {receiving yards