Nick Canepa: Justin Herbert is getting passed over for the Pro Bowl. What gives?

Sez Me …

Roll me a keg of prune juice. Justin Herbert is not among the top 10 quarterback vote-getters for the Pro Bowl. Shedeur Sanders is 10th.

I give up. Test me. I must be on serious drugs.

Or the voters are.

Granted, the Pro Bowl is garbage now. They don’t even play a phony game of football anymore. It’s more like a carnival fun zone. You know, can you pop a balloon with the pigskin?

But, although it no longer has the clout it once did, it remains an honor.

OK, Herbert, quarterback for the NFL Team That Used To Be Here — you know, the Judases/L.A. Lodgers — more than likely is not going to be the National Football League’s MVP. But let me tell you, all things considered, he should be given serious consideration.

Not being in the top 10 among Pro Bowl vote-getters — fans, players and coaches — is a joke worthy of Richard Pryor, complete with the profanities.

Shedeur Sanders? Shedeur has played in five games, completed 52% of his passes, and wouldn’t be on the field if his coach had a choice.

The Rams’ Matthew Stafford, the Patriots’ Drake Maye and the Bills’ Josh Allen are the oddsmakers’ current MVP front-runners, but I wonder where they would be if standing in Herbert’s cleats?

Herbert has the Judases at 10-4, despite playing with 16 different offensive line combinations for the season and a surgically repaired left hand since Dec. 1. Most important, he has been without his decorated protectors — left tackle Rashawn Slater since camp and right tackle Joe Alt since Week 9. The line ranks 31st in run blocking win rate and 32nd in pass blocking.

Herbert has been sacked 49 times, tied for most in football. He has been pressured 239 times on 43.9% of his dropbacks (most). And yet, as he heads to Dallas on Sunday, he leads The League in fourth-quarter TD passes on third downs.

They win with Herbert and defense.

Here is the ultimate football warrior. This is what an MVP does. …

And how isn’t Jim Harbaugh in the Coach of the Year conversation? Secular miracles don’t matter anymore? …

The J’s, 5-0 in prime time, have the best record against AFC teams, 8-2. …

The Heisman rarely goes to the best college player. It didn’t again. Jeremiyah Love was the best player. …

They’re making a big deal about so many recent Heisman winners playing for multiple schools. Many of San Diego State’s finest QBs were double transfers. Dennis Shaw. Don Horn. Craig Penrose. Dan McGwire. To name a few. …

I’m not the biggest fan of Judases offensive coordinator Greg Roman. But Herbert hasn’t thrown a fade route — the worst offensive play in football — the entire season. And that’s not a bad thing. …

The Chiefs are going to have serious salary cap trouble. …

Sob. Chiefs fans are crying foul on the Judases’ defense playing dirty. Mahomes was throwing ambulance balls. He’s not the same QB. …

Tony Jefferson was ejected from a National Football League game for playing football. But flipping off Chiefs fans was a no-no. …

What will Micah Parsons be like when he returns from his torn ACL? Shawne Merriman’s game was explosive, and he didn’t have it after he returned from his surgery. So is Micah’s. …

Without Parsons, who had 64 pressures and 12 ½ sacks, the Packers still are going to a Super Bowl … party. …

The Eagles beat the Raiders in a Randy Jones Game, 2 hours and 25 minutes — which is not possible. The Raiders had 75 total yards. Al Davis is spinning like a drunk’s bedroom. …

When the Raiders got bombed by the Bills 51-3 in the 1990 playoffs, the great Jerry Magee went up to Al in the locker room, and the first thing Davis said, in that semi-Southern/Brooklyn drawl: “How’d you like our field goal?” …

Word is Pete Carroll is one-and-done in Vegas. Crapped out. …

Mark Davis didn’t inherit the stuff his daddy had. …

Pete was an all-time college recruiter. Not the best game coach. His approved play calls absolutely cost the Seahawks a Super Bowl, and USC (probably) a national championship in that stupid game vs. Texas in the Rose Bowl. …

Philip Rivers, a man’s man, will continue to start at quarterback for the Colts. Like they have a choice? …

Philip doesn’t have the zip he once had, of course (he never had a rocket), but he knows what he’s doing. …

Arch Manning will forego the draft and return to Texas. A good thing. Despite being the most over-hyped player in history, he has a lot of talent to untap. …

The Dolphins have benched Tua Tagovailoa for Quinn Ewers. Yeah, that’ll do it. …

Miami will owe Tua more than $200 million in cap money. Stick a harpoon in the Fish. …

Think. Rivers is a starting NFL quarterback. Tua is not. …

When he was GM of the Judases, Tom Telesco thought Tua (who would go one spot in the first round ahead of Herbert) was better. Until he saw Herbert in the Rose Bowl. …

Since 2020, eight QBs drafted in the first round have been benched. …

Puka Nacua may have the strongest receiving hands I’ve seen. He’s a joy to watch — on the field. Great game. Bad week. …

The Rams had 500-plus total yards, zero turnovers and three takeaways vs. Seattle and still lost. First team to do it. Congratulations. …

The Rams beat the Seahawks nine times out of 10. …

Speaking of the Rams, they threw a watch party at SoFi Stadium for the Seattle game. Fewer than 100 attended. Puka, acting presidential, said there were 60,000. …

When the whistle blows, the play should be over. Zach Charbonnet had no idea he casually was picking up two points. …

Looking back: San Diego State’s football team beat the hell out of Boise, which went on to beat Vegas in the Mountain West title game. But the Aztecs’ brutal, undisciplined loss at Albuquerque High was too much to overcome. Blew up the computer. …

Michigan would hire “Hurry Up” Yost. But it seems to be in no hurry. …

RIP, Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob was a genius film director, with a marvelous touch, and Jerry Seinfeld readily admits Rob, as founder of Castle Rock Entertainment, saved his show from early extinction. …

The NBA probably will expand soon, with Seattle and Vegas the front-runners. The Association started with 11 teams. Should have stayed that way. …

Alabama can’t run the ball. Ciao. …

It’s OK. I’m awake. Miami-Texas A&M is over. …

Kickers. …

The Knicks acted as though they’d just beaten Russia and won a gold medal after taking the NBA Cup. Ah, precious moments. …

The Padres have re-signed starting pitcher Michael King. One priority achieved. …

The Dodgers’ $169.3 million luxury tax payment is $163 million more than the Padres’ and, according to Bob Nightengale, more than the entire payroll of 12 MLB teams. But MLB is fair. …

A SDSU committee has recommended a 41% increase to student fees to fund athletics. Football pays the bills. And the Aztecs, with a dull product, don’t draw stick figures to Snapdragon. …

John F. Kennedy cared about the arts.