Maye eyes MVP, but Herbert battles adversity. See why one quarterback's resilience trumps another's stats in this real-world QB showdown.
Drake Maye has a very good chance to win the NFL MVP award this year. Justin Herbert has not necessarily been close to an MVP yet in his six-year career. However, anyone who has actually watched Herbert this season should know he is undoubtedly playing MVP-level football in his own way and could have a stronger claim to the award than even Drake Maye. Will he come anywhere close to Maye in the final voting? Absolutely not. But in a true tale-of-the-tape comparison between these two quarterbacks, what Justin Herbert has done in the face of adversity is something only a handful of NFL quarterbacks could survive, let alone succeed through.
Maye and Herbert may appear similar in sack totals, but the nature of those sacks is not remotely the same. Drake Maye has not been playing behind anything close to the decimated, patched-together offensive line Herbert has been dragging around all season. When Maye takes sacks, it is often because he holds onto the ball in search of a deep strike rather than taking the easy throw. When Herbert takes sacks, it is because he physically cannot get the ball out fast enough. His interior offensive line has been collapsing almost instantly for months and he has been forced to operate with a broken left hand while doing everything he can to keep the Chargers’ season alive.
When it comes to handling pressure, Herbert is simply in another category. No quarterback in the NFL is standing behind a worse, more battered offensive line and still dragging his team into the playoffs like Herbert is right now. What Drake Maye has done this season is impressive, but it cannot be ignored that New England has played one of the easiest schedules in league history. Does that erase his accomplishments? No. Will it matter in the MVP race? No. But it absolutely matters when comparing the two quarterbacks head-to-head.
Facing the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins four times in a season is a much different challenge than facing the fierce defensive fronts Herbert has seen week after week. Maye has not been battle tested the way Herbert has. This Sunday night he will face a Chargers defense that disguises pressures, hits harder than any unit he has played all year and creates chaos from the opening whistle to the final drive.
Drake Maye may hold the MVP trophy. But make no mistake. Justin Herbert will take the field as the better quarterback on Sunday night even if the rest of the world is fooled into believing otherwise. Now the question is whether Herbert can prove it under the bright lights and carry the Chargers into the divisional round to face the AFC West champion Denver Broncos. He has all the talent to do it. Let’s see if he delivers in this superstar quarterback showdown.