ESPN.com is reporting the Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub will miss the remainder of the season with a Lisfranc injury. This is devastating news for a Texans team that has never made the playoffs in franchise history but are currently sitting on top of the AFC South at 7-3. I have never been a huge fan of Schaub and feel he has been over-rated due to his penchant for putting up great fantasy numbers. This doesn’t mean he isn’t an effective player though. His talents fit the offense well and the Texans offense has been clicking this season like one of the best units in the NFL.
If Schaub is out the Texans will have a bye week to get adjusted to their new quarterback, Matt Leinart. Leinart is a former first round pick of the Arizona Cardinals. He never played well enough to take over the starting QB role in Arizona long-term and he left the team in 2009, which is the last time he started a game. If Leinart can not produce in this offense then there is no home for him in the NFL as a starter. The offense has been tailored to suit Schaub with plenty of designed roll-outs and tons of throwing on the run, usually off of play-action. These things won’t suit Leinart quite as well but there is reason to think he could succeed in this offense.
Schaub is an accurate passer but he does not have a rocket arm and cannot drive the ball down the field like many QB’s can. But in this offense Schaub was not asked to drive the ball down the field. Because of all the play-action and roll outs the throws Schaub often made were short passes to tight ends and running backs breaking free off of the formation. Last season Houston ranked 2nd in number of play-action plays ran and 12th in number of times moving the QB out of the pocket. When Schaub did need to throw it down the field he would usually look for the leagues best wide out, Andre Johnson. With the massive Johnson you just need to put the ball in his area and watch him fight to go get it. These are the types of throws that Leinart could succeed with. Leinart does not have a strong arm so he could certainly use all the extra room afforded to throw the ball in the Houston offense. Unfortunately for Leinart on top of arm strength, accuracy was also an issue at times for him in Arizona. I don’t know if he has improved since he left Arizona but I do know there were times (usually earlyin his career) when Leinart showed the ability to be a strong player in the NFL.
I do think Leinart has enough ability to lead this offense, mostly because he won’t be asked to carry them. The previously mentioned Johnson has been out most of the year but his return is imminent. But something has happened while Johnson was out, Arian Foster might have become the Texans most important player. The Houston run game is near the top of the league right now. In fact the last four games Houston have scored 41, 24, 30 and 37 points without Schaub ever having to complete 20 passes because the run game has been so dominant. The offensive line is blocking so well that both Foster and backup Ben Tate are having stellar years. But it is Foster who makes the offense go. He is a special player and his style suits the Houston running scheme perfectly. The Texans have to be careful not to burn him out though because right now his workload is too high and if it continues he won’t be playing his best football come playoff time.
If the run game can continue to produce without Schaub under center then I believe Leinart will be good enough to pick up some wins for the Texans and grow into a good quarterback for them. If Leinart is even just competent then the Texans will still have a good shot at the playoffs with winnable games left against Jacksonville, Carolina, Indy and Tennessee. Watching the Houston Texans just got a lot more interesting for the rest of the year.
