NFL Week 10: New England Patriots Get Breathing Room In AFC East
By Connor Fulton
@ConnorFultonRS
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Even though the New England Patriots had the day off, they managed to win big in Week 10.
Entering Sunday’s slate of games, the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills were both hot on the Patriots’ tail in the AFC East. However, neither team was victorious, giving the 7-2 Patriots a two-game lead in the division heading into an AFC power tilt with the Indianapolis Colts next week.
The Patriots will be further aided in Week 11, as the Dolphins and Bills face each other. This means that one of those teams will get knocked further down in the AFC East, reducing the number of threats to the Patriots’ divisional throne.
Beyond the win-loss numbers, the losses that the Dolphins and Bills suffered could cause long-term damage to those teams. The Dolphins surrendered a last-minute touchdown drive at the hands of the Detroit Lions, and the Bills allowed two touchdowns in four minutes as they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs late in the fourth quarter. Both losses were equally heartbreaking, and definitely stalled the momentum that the Dolphins and Bills had been carrying into the day.
In addition, the Dolphins caught an awful case of the injury bug in Week 10. Left tackle Brandon Albert, widely believed to be the team’s best overall offensive player, injured his left knee and will miss the rest of the season. Starting cornerback Cortland Finnegan also departed the game with an ankle injury and did not return.
After playing the Dolphins next week, the Bills encounter a tough closing stretch that includes two games against the reborn New York Jets, a date with the streaking Cleveland Browns, a visit to Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos and a finale in New England. The Dolphins will also be seeing Gang Green on two separate occasions, as well as the Broncos and Patriots.
Right now, the going is very good for the Patriots. This isn’t to say that the Dolphins or Bills aren’t capable of clawing their way into the AFC East’s top spot, but it’s clear that right now, the Patriots are in a prime position as they prepare for the showdown in Indianapolis.
Related Content:
New England Patriots Bye Week Check-In: Pass Defense
New England Patriots Bye Week Check-In: Running Game
Offseason Additions Are Fueling New England Patriots’ Hot Streak
Connor Fulton is a Patriots writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ConnorFultonRS, or find him on Google.
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