10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
I don’t want to knock Herbert too much for losing to the Commanders in Week 5, but we’ve seen the Chargers put up a couple of consecutive stinkers against NFC East teams, and Herbert has been at the center of that. Herbert had a pair of interceptions last week against the Giants and another bad interception in the loss to the Commanders.
We expected a bit of a regression from Herbert and the Chargers’ offense, given the fact that they lost two elite offensive tackles, but aside from a ridiculous throw to Keenan Allen for a touchdown against Denver, Herbert hasn’t played great football since the first two weeks of the season.
At this point, it’s probably just something to monitor, but Herbert needs to get back to that form he showed in Weeks 1-2 quickly, because the Chargers have opened the door for both the Broncos and Chiefs to get back in the AFC West mix.
9. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
You can’t help but be impressed by Sam Darnold week after week. I don’t know if you give partial credit to both Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O’Connell for him being “fixed”, or if the primary credit goes to O’Connell, but the switch has been flipped for this guy.
In a tough loss against the Buccaneers, Darnold threw a game-changing interception, which was really the only negative mark on an otherwise incredible performance. He threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns otherwise, and that interception was a back-breaker. After a disastrous start for Seattle with a missed field goal, a punt, and a lost fumble by Jalen Milroe, Darnold turned it on by leading five straight touchdown drives.
The late interception is a disappointment, but Darnold looks like an absolutely perfect fit for the Seahawks.