Some fans have their doubt, but his teammates believe in him.
May 18, 2012 - Is Matt Schaub capable of leading the Texans to a Super Bowl? Despite throwing for 4,000+ yards in multiple seasons, despite multiple seasons with a 2/1 TD/INT ratio, despite a trip to the Pro-Bowl; fans still don't seem to be convinced that Schaub can get the job done. Is Schaub elite? Certainly not, no rational person would argue that. Schaub in my opinion is on that next tier after the elite QB's, who given enough talent around them, and I think the Texans have assembled that, can still take their team to the Super Bowl. Don't forget that before his injury, the Texans were 7-3 (4 wins without Andre Johnson), and were considered a favorite along with the Patriots to reach the Super Bowl.
Some fans have this image of Schaub as not clutch, as a guy not capable of leading a 4th quarter drive, but I think they suffer from term memory loss. Does he lead comebacks as often as Manning or Brady? No, but again, he's not elite. He does have his share of comeback victories though like in 2010 vs. the Redskins and Chiefs, and others he should have on his record but the defense gagged away the victory like in 2010 when he led the Texans to 20 4th quarter points against the Jets before the defense gave up 70 yards in 45 seconds. People don't remember that though, they remember that he's never played in a playoff game, and that injuries have cut short 3 of his seasons with the Texans. Making it worse, a 5th round rookie accomplished in his first attempt what Schaub never has. I however don't take that as a sign that Schaub isn't capable, or that Schaub has lost his spot as a team leader. I take that as the Texans finally have the pieces around their quarterback to make a run. Schaub never had a defense around him until last season and until Foster broke out, he didn't have a reliable running game. The pieces are in place, I expect to see them continue the type of play that got them to 7-3 last year before Schaub's injury.
Fans will continue to make angry phone calls when he throws a pick, but I don't believe the fans doubt reflects how the team feels. Players and coaches openly talked about David Carr's lack of effort, passion for the game, and leadership ability; you never hear that about Schaub. They believe he can get the job done. With a top 5 defense and the best running back in the game, you don't exactly need a Hall-of-Fame QB to win a championship. Fans are fickle, just think about how Philadelphia fans regard Donovan McNabb after he led them to a Super Bowl and 4 other NFC Title games. Fans can complain all they want, backup quarterbacks are always popular, but remember Yates' 3 picks vs. the Ravens in the divisional round; I think they would have won that game with Schaub.
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