Justin Herbert continues to ascend under Jim Harbaugh's tutelage.
The big-armed quarterback isn't putting up gaudy numbers, but he's making the gritty plays to win games, a reverse of what Los Angeles Chargers fans are used to seeing from their club.
In Sunday's 27-17 win over the Tennessee Titans, Herbert completed 14 of 18 passes for 164 yards with a touchdown for a 123.1 passer rating. He also went a seventh consecutive game without an interception, the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest such streak by a Chargers QB in a single season.
The stat line belies Herbert's importance, whether making a ridiculous throw into a tiny window or keeping the play alive to find a target. In Week 10, Herbert used his legs for big plays, juking defenders or plowing his way for a first-half touchdown to give L.A. a lead.
"I'm changing his name to 'Beast.' Beast Herbert," coach Jim Harbaugh said postgame, via the team's website. "Half man, half beast."
Herbert rushed nine times for 32 yards and a TD, often keeping drives alive with his legs.
"It's a big part of our offense, where you're going through your reads and trying to push the ball down the field," Herbert said. "If the defense is playing good coverage and guys are covered and the pressure heats up, you have to be able to break contain and go make something happen."
Herbert has had a 90-plus passer rating in all nine games in 2024, the longest streak of starts with a 90-plus passer rating by any NFL QB to begin a season since Philip Rivers in each of his first 13 games in 2018. The only other quarterbacks since the 1970 merger with a 90-plus passer rating in each of their first nine-plus starts of a season were Peyton Manning (2004 and 2013 MVP seasons), Tom Brady (2007 MVP season and 2015) and Aaron Rodgers (2011 MVP season).
Herbert might not be stacking the numbers to win a Most Valuable Player award, but he deserves to be in the conversation, given his importance and play.
Herbert's early-season ankle injury is clearly fine at this stage, and his steadiness over the offense has the Chargers sitting at 6-3 in a prime spot for a wild-card bid.
"Man, Justin was doing some [stuff] I've never seen … I didn't know he had that in his arsenal," Khalil Mack said. "Special player. You see him laying his body on the line today. It speaks volumes when you have a leader like that."
