NFL Week 10 bold predictions: C.J. Stroud beats Bengals; Josh Dobbs and Derek Carr wage shootout

I’m riding the C.J. Stroud wave. One week after the rookie quarterback etched his name into the NFL record books, Bengals DC Lou Anarumo doesn’t have any answers for the young Texan. Cincinnati’s defense gives up 300 passing yards for just the second time this season, allowing Houston to pull off the road upset.

No team has allowed more goal-line touchdowns (inside the 5-yard line) to running backs this year than the Giants. And no player has been more unfortunate on the goal line than Tony Pollard (two TDs on 10 carries). Those two goal-line touchdowns? Against Big Blue in Week 1. This is a get-right spot for Pollard, who notches multiple TDs against the Giants for the second time this season. The performance will also mark his sixth multi-score effort since Week 8 of last season, pushing him past Christian McCaffrey for the most such games in this span.

Newly minted Vikings QB Josh Dobbs unquestionably won over America in last week’s road win in Atlanta, but the Passtronaut only threw for 158 yards. Meanwhile, Derek Carr is averaging 235.7 pass yards per game this season. Things get a little wacky Sunday in Minnesota, as these two quarterbacks combine for 900 yards through the air. 

Washington QB Sam Howell has taken an NFL-high 44 sacks. With the 12s at full throat on Sunday, Seattle’s defense gets in on the action. Boye Mafe, the Seahawks’ sack leader, spearheads the charge with three of the team’s eight total sacks at a raucous Lumen Field.

The Colts will beat the Patriots by multiple scores, running the ball with ease in Germany. Consequently, Bill Belichick’s future in Foxborough — even with the contract extension — will be the No. 1 topic during New England’s Week 11 bye (if it isn’t already). The Week 7 upset of the Bills was merely a temporary respite from the worst Pats season in almost 25 years. There just seems to be a black cloud following this team around these days, and I don’t think it’s leaving anytime soon.

The usage for Bijan Robinson has been anything but ideal of late, but the matchup against the Cardinals this week is too good for him not to succeed. He posts his first career game with 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. 

Jahmyr Gibbs or David Montgomery? After a breakout stretch by the former in the absence of the latter, Montgomery is set to return in Week 10 against the Chargers. Who leads the backfield now, and who do we trust for fantasy purposes moving forward? For at least this week, I say … both backs! Seeing how the Bolts’ defense allows the sixth-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points to RBs, I predict Gibbs and Montgomery each score 15-plus fantasy points — mostly on the merits of receiving work for the rookie and touchdowns for the vet.