Week 10 once more provided excitement, with a major surprise for the Bills demonstrating the 'any Sunday can bring surprises' saying that draws so many people into the NFL
That result may have opened opportunities for the Patriots to creep back into a leading position they used to occupy, with a schedule that gives them an edge over their 8-2 competitors
Over in the NFC the Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams had ideal outcomes to arrange a monster clash next week, while our top performer is pursuing milestones as well as the Most Valuable Player award
Was it just an emotional comedown from defeating Kansas City last week or a deeper issue? This remains the question for the Bills to answer
The Buffalo squad had secured seven victories in a consecutive games against Miami but were second best from the start as the Miami team ran out 30-13 victors in an surprising result - and display
MVP Josh Allen only achieved the squad's initial first down in the third period and first points in the final quarter - admittedly the Dolphins had 10 days to prepare but it was still a significant failure produced by one of the NFL's best offenses
Dolphins quarterback Tua passed for two touchdowns but rusher Achane was the game-changing factor, with 225 total yards and two touchdowns
Containing the league's best running game was also key, with Cook and teammates recording just 86 yards, their fewest of the year and slightly more than half their 161.5-yard season average
Then there were the three critical ball losses, and the two from Allen in particular. An interception in the scoring area meaning a nine-minute possession yielded no points, and his fourth-quarter fumble that Miami converted to seven points just two plays
It was classic 'old Buffalo' as they hurt themselves in the foot, getting into a deficit on defensive side and Allen trying to do too much to dig his team out of it - rather than the calm, controlled, well-balanced Bills we've seen this season
The Dolphins have demonstrated a varied performances this year so the jury's out on if this is the beginning of something, but for Buffalo they'll need an immediate bounce-back in a tough game against Tampa Bay in week 11 as the Patriots are quietly moving into a comfortable advantage at the top of the American Football Conference East
Speaking of the New England, they're among three different eight and two teams in the NFL, all AFC sides, but are they the top team?
One could find flaws in the Patriots, Denver and Indianapolis really for feasting on the weaker opponents, with only five of their combined twenty-four wins coming against teams with a positive record - and one of those was the Colts defeating the Denver
The Broncos beat the champion Eagles in Philadelphia and are masters of the final quarter while Indy can rely on Taylor, but the Patriots adding Sunday's win in Tampa to their prime time success in Orchard Park seems like a declaration
Their pair of losses occurred in new head coach Mike Vrabel's first three games, with seven consecutive victories, just like the Broncos, since then - but defeating Mayfield after the Buccaneers had a week off to prepare was significant
Drake Maye's Most Valuable Player credentials won't go away, and he definitely deserves point for courage after absorbing some hard tackles in Tampa but persevering to guide his side to success
The defensive unit is reliable and rookie rusher Henderson exploded on game day with 147 yards and two exciting scores of 55 and 69 yards - becoming just the fifth ball carrier to break 22 miles per hour this season on his first score
Although you can debate who 'the best' is technically, the Patriots should be favourites to finish with the top record thanks to their schedule - which includes just one game against a winning team, albeit a significant contest against the Bills
Traveling to Baltimore is challenging too, but Denver have it more difficult in the AFC West with the Chiefs to play twice, the Chargers (who might also compete for first place but face the identical challenge) and also the Green Bay on the fixture list
The Colts also face the Kansas City, and have the Seattle, 49ers and two games with the five and four Jacksonville to contend with. There's a considerable distance to travel but the door is open for a surprise number one position in the AFC
Both squads with solid claims to be better than all of the three different 8-2 teams are NFC West rivals the Seattle and Rams, who both put up 40 burgers to reach seven and two ahead of the upcoming major meeting between the pair in LA
They've both won four in a consecutive games, have quarterbacks in Stafford and Darnold playing at an high standard (although Darnold had ball security problems on game day) with top receivers, and defensive units giving up under 20 points a contest
Both could realistically be without a loss as well - particularly the Los Angeles as their pair of losses came in extra time against the 49ers and then that agonising loss in Philly when they had a potentially winning field goal with the last kick blocked and run back by the Philadelphia for a touchdown
Seattle also lost to the 49ers, with a last-minute score in the opening week, before falling to the final play of the game against the Tampa Bay - so they're genuinely two of the best sides in the league
The next matchup on Sunday could be the most exciting of the season so far
Taylor might be on for a record season after his incredible display in Germany - running for 244 rushing yards, registering three touchdowns and adding an additional forty-two {receiving yards
A geospatial analyst with over a decade of experience in terrain modeling and environmental data visualization.
