Houston Texans: Should Matt Schaub remain starting QB?

Despite the Houston Texans 2-2 start, Matt Schaub is still worthy of being a starting quarterback.  While some may view the Texans two wins as a stroke of luck, it was ultimately the resiliency and poise of Schaub that kept them in it to win when it seemed that all hope was lost.  With that being said, Schaub has also proven to be a liability in situations where his team is winning handedly and, some how some way, he manages to make a myriad amount of ill-advised mistakes.  When Schaub plays with no strings attached and nothing to lose, he his one of the most accurate and efficient passers in the game.  However when the pressure becomes overwhelming and oppressive, Schaub seemingly crumbles at the wrong moments while relinquishing a victory that should have been his to the opposing team.

Several parallels can be made between the psyche of Schaub and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.  While both of these passers are capable of putting up exceptional numbers, they both have issues with confidence and consistency from game to game.  At their best, both of these passers are capable of completing over 70% of their passes while simultaneously orchestrating impressive comeback victories.  At their worst, these quarterbacks can easily become mediocre passers who make devastating decisions that ultimately cost their team a chance at a deserved victory.

Thus far, Schaub has lived up to this persona of being an inconsistent quarterback who can get a much-needed victory or blow a decisive lead in notoriously abysmal fashion.  Of course, the biggest blemish on Schaub’s resume this season is the Texans devastating loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home.  At halftime, the Texans were up 20-3.  Their defense was putting on a dominant performance by keeping Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch in check while Matt Schaub threw two touchdown passes to give the Texans a comfortable cushion.  Unfortunately for the Texans, their first half successes would be futile in the long run.  Slowly, the Seahawks staged a comeback for the ages as they scored two touchdowns within five minutes to force overtime.  The key touchdown that the Seahawks needed to stay in the game came at the hands of Matt Schaub who threw a pick six to the Seahawks dominant corner Richard Sherman.

Although it’s easy to put the onus on Schaub for the Texans unexplainable demise, there is another element to this that needs a closer look.  What if the Texans Gary Kubiak had called a draw or a power run play instead of a short pass?  While the Texans would have taken the risk of facing a fourth down, they could have punted the ball deep which would have put immense pressure on Russell Wilson and company to make an offensive push to earn a chance to play in overtime.  Instead, the entire moment was placed on the shoulders of Matt Schaub to make a first down, which would have almost certainly put the game out of reach.  Sadly for the Texans, the events that took place that day didn’t transpire the way they had wanted them to go.  Instead of playing it safe, the Texans chose to be tenacious and aggressive at a moment when that wasn’t necessarily the only viable option.  While we’ll never know the inner workings of how the Texans managed to implode, you can bet that there are more individuals at fault for this failure rather than just Matt Schaub.

When all is said and done, Schaub deserves another chance to prove he is the unquestionable leader and starting quarterback for this franchise.  Although Schaub has had his fair share of cringe worthy moments, he has also had moments of explosive perseverance which have resulted in the Texans winning two games that they probably should lost. While Schaub won’t ever be the most gifted passer in the league, he his hands down the best option at quarterback for the Texans.  If Schaub can rebuild his confidence and avoid the harsh criticism of fans and critics alike, he’ll be able to bounce back to be the methodical and patient passer Houston fans have come to love and treasure.