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The tenth week once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Buffalo Bills proving the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' mantra that attracts so many people into the National Football League

That result may have opened opportunities for the Patriots to move back into a top spot they formerly held, with a remaining games that gives them an advantage over their 8-2 competitors

Meanwhile in the NFC the Seattle Seahawks and Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a major confrontation in week 11, while our top performer is chasing records as well as the Most Valuable Player award

The Breakdown - Simply an Off Day for Buffalo?

Could it simply have been an emotional letdown from defeating Kansas City the previous week or something more? This remains the question for the Bills to answer

The Buffalo squad had won seven in a row against Miami but were outperformed from the start as the Dolphins emerged as 30-13 winners in an eye-opening outcome - and display

MVP quarterback Josh Allen only got the squad's initial first down in the third quarter and initial scoring in the fourth - admittedly the Dolphins had 10 days to prepare but it was nonetheless a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's top offences

Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two scores but running back De'Von Achane was the devastating difference, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns

Containing the NFL's top running game was crucial too, with James Cook and company registering just 86 yards, their lowest of the year and slightly more than fifty percent their 161.5 yard season average

Additionally there were the three crucial ball losses, and the two from Josh Allen specifically. An interception in the end zone resulting in a nine minute drive yielded no points, and his final quarter dropped ball that the Dolphins turned into seven points just later

It was typical 'old Buffalo' as they shot themselves in the foot, getting into a hole on defensive side and Allen attempting to do too much to dig his team from the situation - rather than the composed, controlled, well-balanced Bills we've witnessed this season

The Dolphins have served up a bit of everything this season so the jury's out on if this is the start of something, but for Buffalo they'll need an instant response in a difficult matchup against Tampa Bay next week as the Patriots are sneaking into a comfortable advantage at the top of the American Football Conference East

Spotlight - Patriots See Path to Unexpected First Place

Speaking of the Patriots, they're one of three different eight and two squads in the league, all American Football Conference teams, but are they the best?

You can pick holes in the Patriots, the Broncos and Indianapolis actually for dominating the lesser sides, with just five of their total 24 victories coming against opponents with a winning record - and one example was the Indianapolis defeating the Broncos

The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are kings of the fourth-quarter while Indianapolis can ride Taylor, but the Patriots including Sunday's victory in Tampa Bay to their primtime win in Orchard Park seems like a declaration

Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Vrabel's initial three games, 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 significant

Drake Maye's MVP claims won't go away, and he definitely deserves credit for courage after absorbing some savage hits in Tampa Bay but hanging in there to steer his team to success

The defense is reliable and first-year rusher TreVeyon Henderson exploded on Sunday with 147 rushing yards and two exhilerating touchdowns of fifty-five and sixty-nine yards - becoming just the fifth runner to exceed 22mph this season on his first score

While you can debate who 'the top team' is statistically, the Patriots should be favorites to finish with the top record due to their remaining opponents - which includes just a single matchup 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 division with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but encounter the same problem) and additionally the Green Bay on the schedule

The Colts also face the Chiefs, and have the Seahawks, San Francisco and two matchups with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There's a long way to go but the door is available for a surprise top seed in the American Football Conference

Coming Up - Rams & Seahawks Prepare for Next Week Showdown

Both squads with strong arguments to be superior to all of the three 8-2 sides are National Football Conference West opponents the Seahawks and Rams, who each put up 40 burgers to reach 7-2 ahead of the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster game between the two in Los Angeles

They've both secured four victories in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Sam Darnold playing at an high standard (although Sam Darnold had turnover issues on game day) with top receivers, and defenses giving up under 20 points a game

Each could easily be without a loss as well - particularly the Rams as their two defeats occurred in overtime against the San Francisco and then that painful defeat in Philly when they had a potentially winning kick with the final play deflected and run back by the Eagles for a score

The Seahawks were also defeated to San Francisco, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the contest against the Buccaneers - so they're genuinely among the best sides in the NFL

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

Top Performer - Taylor

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