You have no way of knowing whether Herbert is the real deal, and as Meek pointed out, no QB is going to salvage this season because the Ducks' issues extend far beyond QB play.

I do agree that there's no point in starting Herbert against UW. Maybe let him play a series or two against their second string defense if the Ducks are trailing big late in the game, but at this point they should work to build his confidence in situations where he can be successful.