Nine weeks and the trade deadline are now in our rearview mirror. From here on out, it's all gas no brakes through the second half of the regular season as we rocket towards the playoffs down the road to Super Bowl LXI. Of course, plenty will happen between now and when we kick off that championship match from SoFi Stadium, and we'll keep marching on with Week 10 on deck. 

As always, unexpected storylines develop over the course of the season and in a given week, and we try to pinpoint some of them for you here before they arrive. 

Last week, we highlighted a bounce-back performance from Bijan Robinson, who had 147 scrimmage yards in a loss to Cincinnati in Madrid. While he didn't commit multiple turnovers, we also put you on the scent of Jayden Daniels—who fumbled—being a little loose with the football, along with Jonah Coleman continuing to play well enough to soften Denver's need to acquire a back at the deadline. 

We'll look to carry that momentum into this week. Below, you can find five storylines and/or individual performances we wouldn't be shocked to see happen in Week 10.  

All NFL odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Zach Charbonnet rushes for over 100 yards

Rather quietly, Zach Charbonnet has looked good in his return from his ACL tear last January. He's played in two games for Seattle and is quickly taking over the backfield. 

After a modest six carries in his first game back in Week 8, Charbonnet dominated the backfield touches in Week 9. The veteran back had 16 carries in the win over Arizona, well above Jadarian Price's 9 carries. On top of getting the lion's share of work, Charbonnet is proving to simply be the better back. He's averaging 4.5 yards per carry, far better than Price's 3.7 yards per carry on the season and 2.8 yards per carry since returning from IR in Week 8. 

Given the current trajectory of both players, it wouldn't shock me to see Charbonnet continue to see the bulk of the touches out of the backfield. If he does, he has a chance to put together his best game so far: the Raiders are allowing 5.0 yards per carry this season, which is tied for the most in the NFL. 

In fact, Charbonnet is liable to record just the third 100-yard rushing game of his career in this matchup. 

Gambling nugget to note: Zach Charbonnet's rushing yards total for Week 10 is 60.5 (-113 to the Over).  

Josh Downs dominates in Chiefs debut 

Josh Downs was one of the notable names to be moved on deadline day, and the former Colts receiver suddenly finds himself in NFL nirvana. Not only was his trade request granted, but he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where Patrick Mahomes will be his quarterback. Judging by his immediate reaction to the trade on social media, Downs is clearly happy with how things turned out. 

I expect the Chiefs to see immediate returns from this move, as Downs fits how the offense has run this season perfectly. More than in any other season of his career, Mahomes and the Chiefs have primarily worked the short passing game, as his 5.6 air yards per attempt highlights. Downs is an elite separator. His 3.2 average yards of separation and +24 yards after the catch over expectation are 24th and tied for 24th among 72 qualified receivers, according to NFL Pro. Mahomes will quickly realize and exploit that ability. 

Kansas City has desperately been looking for an answer at receiver as the position group is averaging just 117.5 receiving yards per game this season. Not only does that rank 28th in the NFL this season, but it's the fewest in the Mahomes era. Downs may change that overnight. 

Atlanta is coming off a loss to the Bengals in Madrid, where the Cincinnati receivers ran wild. While Ja'Marr Chase is in a class of his own, I do believe Downs can have loads of success against this secondary that also just traded away star safety Jessie Bates. 

Finally paired with a quarterback that can get him the football, Downs makes his presence felt early for Kansas City. 

Gambling nugget to note: Josh Downs' receiving yard total for Week 10 is 30.5 (-109 to the Over). 

Fernando Mendoza struggles in first career start

The Fernando Mendoza era is about to begin in Las Vegas. The No. 1 overall pick is slated to make his first career start on Sunday, after the Raiders traded Kirk Cousins (who started the first nine games of the season) to the Minnesota Vikings before Tuesday's deadline. 

While anticipation is building for a full look at Mendoza in the NFL, this isn't exactly the softest landing spot for him. The Indiana product will have the luxury of being at home, but at the same time will have the tall task of facing the Seattle Seahawks defense. 

The unit is allowing just 244.2 total yards of offense per game, including 155.1 passing yards allowed per game. Both are the fewest in the NFL. On top of that, their 4.1 total yards per play allowed is the lowest by any team through nine games since the 2023 Ravens. They're also surrendering the fewest 20-yard plays (17) through nine games since the 2008 Steelers. 

Facing the defending Super Bowl champs presents a tough challenge for Mendoza to come out of the gate firing in his first start. In fact, he's the first quarterback taken No. 1 overall to face the defending champions in his first career start. The five previous first-round rookie quarterbacks to debut against the reigning champs have all lost. 

 Meanwhile, No. 1 pick quarterbacks are 1-15-1 in their first career starts since 2003. Given that history, it's not worth hitting the panic button even if Mendoza does struggle. 

Gambling nugget to note: Fernando Mendoza is -156 to throw an interception in Week 10. 

Brock Purdy rises to MVP favorite

Coming into Week 10, Joe Burrow is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP award at +190. He's followed by Josh Allen, who has +250 odds to win the award for the second time in his career. After that, however, is Brock Purdy at +425. By the end of Week 10, however, it's plausible that Purdy ascends to the top of these odds as the new favorite to win the award. 

As I've written about elsewhere this week, I think there's a possibility the Steelers cool down Joe Burrow on "Sunday Night Football." To his credit, Burrow has put up otherworldly numbers, but it's come against subpar competition. He faces a much tougher task against Pittsburgh, who is top five in the NFL in yards per play allowed and points per game allowed. The defense is also tied for the eighth-lowest passer rating allowed. Coming off of their bye, while Cincinnati returns from a game in Spain, there's the potential for him to post a dud in primetime, which will ding his odds. 

Meanwhile, Purdy gets an advantageous matchup himself as he and the 49ers will roll into AT&T Stadium to face the Cowboys. Dallas is giving up the third-most total yards per game in the NFL and the third-most yards per play. Moreover, they're giving up 26.2 points per game (bottom 10 in the NFL), opponents are converting 48.31% of their third-down opportunities (highest), and a 99.1 passer rating (eighth-highest). 

Purdy is top-three in the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating this season and has a history of dominating against the Cowboys. For his career, the 49ers QB is 3-0 against Dallas, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt and a 118.4 passer rating. 

The stage is set for another monster outing. If he plays to that level, the MVP chatter surrounding him will only get louder.  

Will Anderson Jr. matches career high in sacks 

Speaking of awards, Will Anderson Jr. is becoming the overwhelming favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2026. 

Currently, his odds to win DPOY are down to +150, with Fred Warner the next up behind him at +600. That's thanks to Anderson piling up 9.5 sacks, which are the most in the NFL through nine weeks and the second-most by a Texans player in the first eight games of a season (J.J. Watt with 105 in 2012). Anderson is one of the game's elite pass rushers, and I expect him to only bolster his case to win the award with what could be a career performance on Sunday against the Browns. 

Cleveland is set to have Deshaun Watson after the veteran quarterback missed last week's loss to New Orleans after landing in concussion protocol. Despite missing a game, Watson still enters Week 10 with a league-high 33 sacks taken this season. Meanwhile, Shedeur Sanders was sacked five times last week. No matter who is under center for the Browns, they get sacked early and often, which is music to Anderson's ears. 

The most sacks he's posted in a single game of his career is three, which he's done twice. The first came back in 2024 in a Week 6 game against the Patriots. The second was earlier this year, sacking Cam Ward three times in a Week 5 win over Tennessee. Against a beatable Browns offensive line, Anderson adds another three-sack game to his résumé.