Chargers' Justin Herbert earns 'competitive maniac' label after 'MNF' win over Eagles

One week after Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand, he gutted out an ugly 22-19 overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles that improved the Chargers to 9-4 on Monday night. 

Following that victory, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh understandably sang Herbert's praises. 

Justin Herbert was a "superhero quarterback" in win over Eagles

"He had surgery a week ago and out here tonight," Harbaugh said about Herbert, per Grant Gordon of the NFL's website. "It felt like I was in a movie where the quarterback's doing these things, and you get to the point where you go, 'OK, this is getting a little unrealistic.' You know? That's what it felt like to me. He refuses to lose. He's as tough as they get. He's a superhero quarterback."

Statistically speaking, Herbert was far from heroic against the Eagles. He completed just 12-of-26 pass attempts for 139 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the win. That said, he showed his toughness as he took seven total sacks and as he rushed for a team-high 66 yards on 10 carries. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was responsible for five giveaways, the last of which occurred on the game's final play. 

"He's a superhero," Harbaugh added about Herbert. "He's a competitive maniac. He was even stiff-arming guys with a broken hand."

Justin Herbert gets real about playing with injury

Professional athletes will often downplay the discomfort that comes with playing through a noteworthy injury. Herbert took a different route when he was asked if he dealt with a lot of pain during Monday's contest. 

"Yeah, it was a broken hand," Herbert acknowledged. 

The Chargers still trail the 11-2 Denver Broncos in the AFC West standings, but Los Angeles also controls its playoff destiny. This coming Sunday, the Chargers will play at a 6-7 Kansas City Chiefs side that will be looking to save its season. Simply having Herbert in the lineup could give the Chargers an extra boost for that massive matchup. 

"It's inspiring," Harbaugh said about Herbert playing with his injury, per Kris Rhim of ESPN. "I wish I could just throw my body on the line. I wish I could take those hits for 'em."

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Chargers as 4.5-point road underdogs against the Chiefs.