Matt Schaub Won't Be Benched; Should He?

If Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub is receiving unflattering comparisons to Mittens David Carr for his two game performance so far, is Sage Rosenfels going to be named starter against Jacksonville?

Nope says Texans coach Gary Kubiak:

"When I look at the big picture, if I felt like one player was the reason we were not succeeding, then that's easy. I don't see it that way. I see a lot of reasons we're not succeeding."

Yes, it is easier to make a quarterback change when you have a strong defense, offensive line and running game, and your QB position is the obvious problem.

I don't think that is where the Texans are right now

To me the offense looks like one that has a offensive line with three new players on it including a rookie, learning a new zone blocking system. A system that even when it is perfected sometimes struggles against large physical defensive lines. Though the Texans wide receivers were among the best in the league in holding on to passes last year, they dropped quite a lot last week against the Titans. Wide receiver Andre Johnson's practice time this offseason was limited due to injuries, and he looked like he had some rust on him. And they are incorporating a talented rookie in Steve Slaton into the running game.

They were a few plays away from turning Schaub's goat performance into one where few would remember his bad moments.

Gary Kubiak has benched a starting quarterback in the past. He benched Carr on the road for the second half against the Titans after a really bad second quarter. Sage Rosenfels would have probably finished off that season except for receiving a fluke hand injury during a special teams play during a game against the Jets.

Kubiak is a patient coach who works for a patient owner. I don't see him making a quarterback switch unless Schaub gets hurt, which is absolutely a possibility given his multiple sacked performance in the first two games. And if he is thinking about it, he is certainly not going to express it outloud or do some sort of goofy hybrid this guy is our quarterback but the backup is going to get more reps thing.

The Texans starters haven't had consistent work. Part of a preseason game against the Cowboys, no reps in the fourth preseason game, destroyed by the Steelers on the road, an unwelcomed bye from Ike, and another road loss. The Texans have never been a good road team, even in the Kubiak era.

For more on this topic that is a big issue in Houston, I suggest you check out my Houston Chronicle blog post about it: Want to bench Matt Schaub? Here's some things to think about.

For an in-depth look at the mess that was the Texans-Titan game, I suggest checking out Solis' detailed (semi-profane) account at Battle Red Blog and Lance Zierlein's review at his Z Report blog.