Pro Bowl honor is nice but glaring stat proves Chargers' Justin Herbert should be MVP

Everyone around Justin Herbert, it seems, got injured this season.

The Los Angeles Chargers' offense lost both starting tackles and have been forced to use 12 different players to protect their quarterback. Star rookie running back Omarion Hampton went down for seven games. Now it's Kimani Vidal nursing a sore neck and possibly missing Sunday's important game against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium. Receiver Ladd McConkey missed a game. Same for Quentin Johnston, and tight end Oronde Gadsden.

Truth is, even Herbert himself has been banged up. He suffered a broken bone is his left hand, and has played the last three and half games wearing a protective glove.

Through it all, the quarterback has somehow stayed upright and healthy enough to lead the Bolts to an 11-4 record and a playoff berth. Win their final two games and they'll win their first AFC West title since 2009.

Herbert was rewarded for this performance on Tuesday, getting voted to the Pro Bowl as an AFC quarterback along with Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Drake May of the New England Patriots. It's Herbert's second Pro Bowl honor and, sure, he should be proud. But, let's face it, the Pro Bowl "voting" system is hardly credible. Proof: Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce is the leader in fan balloting. He has five touchdowns for a 6-win team eliminated from the playoffs.

What Herbert's Pro Bowl berth should be is a springboard to his MVP candidacy. He's second in quarterback rushing yards behind on Allen. But no one has delivered more production with less protection than Herbert.

He has been sacked 49 times. The only other quarterbacks sacked more - Geno Smith (52) and Cam Ward (51) - play for teams with a combined record of 5-25.