I know the headline may sound a little crazy, but bear with me for a second.
Justin Herbert has been electric in his five starts as the LA Chargers‘ quarterback. The former Oregon signal caller has thrown for 290 yards in each game this season including last week where he accounted for 412 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite his instant success, many forget that during the pre-draft process, Herbert was labeled by many experts as a bust. These so-called “experts” criticized Herbert’s leadership skills, and some doubted his ability to play in a pro-style offense.
Here is what PFF had to say in April:
“I don’t think he can play. Like honestly, he can’t play.” — @PFF_Seth on Justin Herbert | 2 For 1 Drafts pic.twitter.com/v4CdEP9K5r
— PFF (@PFF) April 16, 2020
Fast-forward a few months and not only is Herbert succeeding, but he is absolutely dominating. The Eugene native is in the Top 5 for yards per attempt and quarterback rating, as well as every deep-throw metric. With every game, Herbie is getting better at taking care of the football and limiting turnovers. In Herbert’s last two games he had eight total touchdowns and zero interceptions. Now, without Tyrod Taylor staring over his shoulder, Herbert can play freely and with poise.
Herbert embraces contact and finishes a great run vs the Auburn Tigers
Herbert still has an uphill battle in the NFL MVP Race. Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers will be at the forefront of the conversation, but Herbert still has plenty of time to make up ground. He is on a similar statistical pace of guys on that list, and with two fewer starts.
It seems as though PFF has changed their original opinion on Justin Herbert:
Sky’s the limit for Justin Herbert 🄀 pic.twitter.com/TEneeVyQyw
— PFF (@PFF) October 27, 2020
The biggest knock on Herbert’s MVP resume is his lack of winning. Although he is 1-4 in starts, Herbert has played each team tough and has yet to lose by double digits. Herbert and the Chargers have a far easier slate in the coming weeks, with the Broncos, Raiders, Jets and Dolphins penned in for the next month. With wins in three of those four games, the Chargers could be sitting at 5-5 a little past the halfway mark of the season. If he continues to play the way he has up to this point, Herbert should be firmly positioned in the MVP race among some of the NFL’s best.
Maybe I’m just an overly-excited Duck fan, or maybe I have a point?
Garrett Sharp-Craig
Eugene, Oregon
Top Photo by Twitter via @PFF
Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in the financial technology industry in Bozeman, Montana.
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Born and raised in San Francisco, Garrett grew up as a die hard Giants, Warriors & 49ers fan. However, as a child, he remembers watching De’Anthony Thomas and LaMicheal James highlights online which prompted a fascination with the Ducks.
Fast forward a few years and Garrett is a Junior at the University of Oregon, majoring in Sports Business while also minoring in Journalism and Spanish. As a student, Garrett has yet to miss a home football game and nor does he plan to.
When not watching or writing about sports, you can find Garrett playing intramural football and basketball or in the library completing his studies. But do not be surprised if he has a game on or a sports podcast playing in the background.