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LA Chargers: Justin Herbert should be an MVP candidate – game grade

By Jason Reed

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 22: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers smiles after leading his team to a 34-28 win during the second half against the New York Jets at SoFi Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 22: Justin Herbert #10 of the Los Angeles Chargers smiles after leading his team to a 34-28 win during the second half against the New York Jets at SoFi Stadium on November 22, 2020 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) – LA Chargers
(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images) – LA Chargers /

Justin Herbert compared to 2020 MVP candidates:

This article is being written before the Kansas City Chiefs-Las Vegas Raiders Sunday Night Football game. Mahomes very well could have a massive game and separate himself from the pact, but the comparison still stands.

Patrick Mahomes:

Through nine games this season, Mahomes has completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,687 yards. He has 25 touchdowns and a league-leading one interception. His 0.3% interception rate leads the league.

Mahomes averages 298.6 yards and 2.78 passing touchdowns per game. He also has 171 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns this season.

Russell Wilson: 

Russell Wilson initially led the MVP discussion but has cooled down a bit in recent weeks. Wilson has one more game played than Mahomes and has completed 70.7% of his passes for 2,986 yards and 30 touchdowns. He has thrown 10 interceptions.

This is what is really important — Wilson averages 298.6 passing yards (the same as Mahomes) and three passing touchdowns per game. He also has 367 rushing yards with one rushing touchdown.

Justin Herbert:

Yes, there is no Kyler Murray or Aaron Rodgers here but to me this is really a two-man race and the point of this article is just to compare Herbert to those that are favored for the award.

After Week 11, Herbert has completed 68% of his passes for 2,699 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in nine starts. He is averaging 299.9 passing yards and 2.44 passing touchdowns per game. He has three rushing touchdowns this season with 176 rushing yards.

Again, Herbert is not even in the discussion because the LA Chargers are bad and he did not start in Week 1. However, over a 16-game span, Herbert (based on these averages) would finish with slightly more passing yards than Mahomes and Wilson. He is on a 16-game pace of 39 touchdowns while Mahomes’ pace is 44 and Wilson’s is 48.

Herbert is right up there with the best in the business, making him a great sleeper pick for next year’s award. What about the award that he is battling for this year?

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