Former NFL All-Pro slams Justin Herbert with horrid take after Chargers win over Jets

Justin Herbert did not have his best game against the New York Jets but that was to be expected heading into Monday Night Football. The Chargers were playing one of the best defenses in the sport and became the first team to score two offensive touchdowns against that defense in the 27-6 win.

Herbert didn't have a great game by his standards but he was good enough. He made plays when the Chargers needed him to make plays and most importantly, he did not make any costly mistakes. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts combined for eight interceptions in three games against the Jets. Herbert threw zero.

For some reason, Herbert has become every pundit's favorite quarterback to criticize this season. When Herbert plays really well and the Chargers lose it is still his fault for not winning games. Now, when the Chargers win and he doesn't have his best game, it is also seemingly indicative of his quarterbacking ability!

That is the point that Gerald McCoy made on Tuesday's 'Good Morning Football'. The former NFL All-Pro went on a bit of a tangent about Herbert not being an elite quarterback that even had his co-hosts questioning whether or not the tangent was personal.

Gerald McCoy slams Justin Herbert, calls the Chargers' QB "not elite"

We are not going to sit here and pretend like Herbert had a masterclass against the New York Jets, because he didn't. If you are just looking at the numbers, it may seem like Herbert actually had a really bad game (which prompts this kind of take on talk shows).

But in classic Herbert fashion, the goalposts continued to be shifted for him. Heading into Week 9 everyone was lauding this Jets defense as a quarterback killer, because it is. This is legitimate one of the best defenses, if not the best defense, in the sport. This is why the matchup was so concerning for Chargers fans.

But now that the Chargers have beaten the Jets McCoy just thinks they have a decent defense? Funny how that narrative shifts to try and support the argument that Herbert does not belong in the upper echelon of quarterbacks.

McCoy wants to bring up all of those team stats, which is always the ammunition against Herbert. Unfortunately, Herbert didn't get to benefit from coming into a system that had two future Hall of Fame pass-catchers and a future Hall of Fame head coach. He also didn't get to go to a team that has a top-five defense in the sport that carried him to several playoff wins. He came to the LA Chargers, which as we all know, can be a flawed place to play.

Since McCoy wants to bring up the numbers, let's dive in a bit. Herbert is fifth in the league in QBR this season. He has the fifth-lowest interception rate in the league with at least 200 passing attempts. He is one of eight quarterbacks to average 250 yards per game with a completion percentage of 67% or better.

Since Herbert came into the league he ranks second in yards, sixth in touchdowns, and has the same completion percentage as Patrick Mahomes. He has done all of that while being the sixth-most sacked quarterback in the league.

Monday night was Herbert's first-ever game with less than 150 passing yards and no passing touchdown (min 20 attempts). He now has the same amount as Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and even Aaron Rodgers. He has less in that span than Dak Prescott, Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins, and even Jalen Hurts.

So go ahead: kick Justin Herbert while he is "down" even though the Chargers just won a huge primetime game that catapulted them back into the playoff picture. It doesn't mean it makes any sense.

Everyone loves to pile on Justin Herbert, but you can bet on your franchise QB to prove the oddsmakers wrong with $200 in bonus bets backing you up at BetMGM Sportsbook! Just sign up and place your first bet of $10 or more on anything. You'll instantly win $200 in bonus bets!