Welcome back to the Chargers Mailbag!
We'll run a Mailbag each week during the regular season. Send in submissions for the Mailbag on Twitter @EricLSmith or by email at eric.smith@chargers.nfl.com.
Off we go...
Is "Herbert Derangement Syndrome" becoming a real issue in the league? (via Twitter)
Of course. But do we really expect anything less?
By the way, if we frame this question another way, it's simply asking whether or not Justin Herbert gets enough credit for how well he's playing this season.
And the answer to that is definitely not.
Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman agreed with that notion last week.
"When you look at his body of work, it's better," Roman said, noting that Herbert is playing the best football of his career right now.
I'm in agreement with that and here's why.
On the surface, Herbert's traditional stats are about where they typically are. He's thrown for 2,610 yards (second in the NFL) and 19 touchdowns (tied for third) this season.
But a deeper dive shows just how valuable Herbert has been, especially when you narrow in on the fact that he has been pressured more than any other quarterback in the league.
The Chargers have had to patch together their offensive line for most of the season. And while that group has battled valiantly all year, it's no surprise that Herbert has been pressured 173 times, according to Pro Football Focus.
That's the most in the league and 33 pressures more than New England's Drake Maye, the second quarterback on the list.
Herbert, according to PFF, has also been hit nine times right as he's thrown, which is tied for the most in the league.
Despite that, Herbert has still produced an overall PFF grade of 91.8, which is fifth among quarterback.
Oh yeah, he's led the Chargers to a 7-3 record and a current Wild Card spot in the AFC playoff standings, with the AFC West still in reach with seven games to go.
The simplest way I can put it is this: Justin Herbert is playing like an MVP this season, even if most people outside the building don't realize it.
But the Chargers know it. And they wouldn't want anyone else at quarterback leading the way.
Which is better for the Chargers for the remainder of the season? Chiefs or Broncos win this week? (via Twitter)
I love this question.
As it stands now, all three AFC West teams have a good chance to make the playoffs.
According to The Athletic, the Broncos are at 92 percent while the Chargers (82 percent) and the Chiefs (75 percent) also have strong odds.
If we look at The Athletic's model, a Chargers win Sunday in Jacksonville bumps those chances to 93 percent, a sizable jump impacted by the fact the Bolts would hold a crucial head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jaguars.
The Chargers current AFC West odds, which are at 27 percent, jump to 35 percent with a win in Week 11.
And if we hypothetically factor in a Chargers win Sunday, here's how those numbers would change based on a Broncos or Chiefs win.
| Chargers Playoff % | Broncos Playoff % | Chiefs Playoff % | Chargers AFC West % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos Win | 94% | 98% | 65% | 34% |
| Chiefs Win | 92% | 88% | 86% | 37% |
So yeah, this is a big one in the AFC West.
But even with those analytics, part of me wonders if the play is to root for Denver in order to limit the Chiefs chances of a 10th straight division title.
Think of it this way: a Chiefs win helps the Chargers get closer to a possible AFC West crown. If the Bolts and Chiefs win Sunday, the Chargers will be in first place heading into the bye.
But a Broncos win helps move the Chiefs away from an AFC crown, something Kansas City has owned for essentially a decade now.
This sounds odd even saying it out loud, but I guess give me a Chiefs win on Sunday. I believe the Bolts can win the AFC West if they can stay in the race, and knocking the Broncos down a peg is certainly one way to accomplish that.
Greg Roman has had plenty of critics, yet he's drawn up some gems this season. Is part of the reason we're seeing new things from him is because he's never had a quarterback like Justin Herbert? (via Twitter)
I'm sure that's part of it, yes.
Roman also takes a big-picture look at the entire offense when drawing up his game plan each week.
Roman is one of my favorite people that goes to the podium each week as he provides consistent and insightful yet humorous answers.
But one of Roman's go-to responses is that the NFL is a "week-to-week" league and that he wants his offense to always be evolving, even during a point in the season such as this one.
Sure enough, Roman adapted Sunday night against Pittsburgh and delivered a great scheme.
Herbert's time to throw in Week 11, according to PFF, was just 2.33 seconds, by far his quickest mark of the season. With the Steelers employing a ferocious pass rush, credit Roman for going with plenty of quick passes to help mitigate that.
Keep in mind that Roman is currently working with a running back in Kimani Vidal who was theoretically fourth on the depth chart plus a host of reserve tackles with Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater both out for the year.
Roman's creativity — along with Herbert's brilliant play — has helped the Bolts be in a playoff spot with seven games left.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
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Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
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Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
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Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
Take a look back at the Chargers Week 10 matchup with the Steelers in monochrome.
It looks like trading Alohi Gilman really worked out for the Chargers with the stellar play of Odafe Oweh & the emergence of RJ Mickens. How much did the coaches' faith in Mickens play into being willing to trade Alohi? (via Twitter)
It's looking like that trade was a win-win for both sides.
The Chargers have won four of five games since acquiring Odafe Oweh, who has tallied 4.0 sacks and has formed a triple-threat pass rushing group with Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipulotu.
The Ravens, meanwhile, have won three of four games with Gilman in the secondary to get back in the AFC North race. Gilman has been his usual steady self with a nose for the ball in Baltimore.
The Mickens factor is a big one, too.
When the Chargers made the trade, I wrote that they were essentially plucking from their surplus at safety to help improve their edge rusher group. Oweh has certainly helped the latter.
And the thinking at the time was that it would be Tony Jefferson who would take on a larger role alongside Elijah Molden with Derwin James roaming all over the field. Mickens, meanwhile, would be a depth piece who could develop slowly.
But with Jefferson banged up of late with a hamstring, Mickens has instead become a vital piece of the Bolts secondary. And he's been a ballhawk, too, with two interceptions in primetime in the Chargers past two home games.
If we look ahead to the future, James and Molden will surely be part of the equation at safety. But if Mickens keeps up his recent level of play, you have to think he'll be in the mix to be a full-time starter in his second NFL season.
