Despite a tough season, Herbert's Chargers are winning. He's finally not carrying the team alone, thanks to defense and a clutch kicker.
Justin Herbert is currently playing MVP football in ways far beyond the numbers. The problem is, the numbers themselves are leaving him well behind in the conversation compared to fellow quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, and others. Herbert currently sits 11th in passing yards (3,191), tied for sixth in touchdowns (23), tied for 31st in interceptions (12), and 16th in QBR (58.3).
And yet, Herbert has felt like Superman given everything he’s had to overcome to get the Chargers where they are right now.
Sitting at 10-4 with a winnable game against the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday and a 96% chance of making the playoffs is nowhere near where many fans expected this team to be, especially when you factor in the injuries they’ve dealt with all season long—and even before the season began. Dealing with a broken hand over the last three weeks certainly hasn’t helped Herbert play anywhere close to his best football.
But here’s the beauty of it: for the first time in his career, Justin Herbert can finally rely on the other units to pick up the slack when the offense isn’t firing.
Herbert has been accustomed to needing to be the sole reason the Chargers had any chance of success. He’s had to completely fill the stat sheet just to keep games close, and even then it felt like wins came only about half the time. Now, thanks to Jesse Minter and Cameron Dicker, that burden isn’t entirely on his shoulders anymore.
Herbert doesn’t need to throw for 300 yards and two touchdowns every week. He doesn’t have to put the team on his back for them to have even a sliver of hope. Getting the offense to the 40-yard line feels like an automatic three points with Dicker lining up. Scoring 17 points can legitimately be enough some weeks with how Minter has the defense rolling right now.
For the first time, Herbert can breathe knowing that the other guys on the field are reliable. He is still playing Superman football given the state of the offensive line and his own health—but now, he doesn’t have to do it alone.
That’s not going to show up in MVP odds or box scores. But it’s showing up in wins.
Let’s see if that trend continues as the Chargers fight for an AFC West crown, and at the very least, lock in a playoff berth. The pieces are there to make a run, even if everything still isn’t perfect.