Matt Schaub, Houston Texans hope grunt work leads to elite status - SportingNews.com

HOUSTON -- Matt Schaub is the best NFL playoff quarterback who’s never started in the postseason. As the Houston Texans expect to return there in 2012 after making it for the first time last season, Schaub has a big opportunity ahead of him in the biggest year of his career.

In his five regular seasons as the Texans’ starter, Schaub has been among the league’s best, including winning the passing yardage title in ’09. But just when he was helping to lead the team to the playoffs in ’11, a foot injury put him on the shelf seven games shy of playing there. Now entering the final year of his contract, he will return healthy for a reigning AFC division winner.

Matt Schaub wants the Houston Texans to become an elite franchise. Now healthy, he can have a greater effect on their ascension. (AP Photo)

Although that combination of team and individual pressure might faze some quarterbacks, Schaub remains what he’s always been as a Texan -- a cool performer focused on what’s at hand.

“Every day you step on the field, you have something to prove,” Schaub said. “That’s the nature of this business. It’s not going to wait on anybody, and if you’re not playing up to the level you know you can, someone else is there to jump in.

“That sense of urgency is always there, whether coming back from injury or not.”

Schaub has recovered well from having Lisfranc surgery. While the Texans might be proceeding with caution before locking up the 31-year-old beyond this season, he is aware that if he goes back to playing the way he did before the injury, the team will take care of him off the field.

On the field, Texans left tackle Duane Brown is charged with taking care of Schaub down after down as his blindside pass protector. Brown excels at keeping his quarterback clean, and sees his quarterback bouncing back with a bang.

“At that position, it’s hard to get back to where you were, but physically, he looks good,” Brown said. He’s taking good drops, going through progressions well and his arm looks strong. I’m expecting big things from him.”

When looking at the other current AFC powers, specifically those who made the playoffs a year ago, it’s a who’s who of winners. New England’s Tom Brady, Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger and Denver’s Peyton Manning have combined for 10 Super Bowl appearances in the past 11 years. Baltimore’s Joe Flacco has padded his playoff victory resume in all four of his NFL seasons.

The Texans are fortunate to be armed with Schaub, who has proved he can stack up production-wise with that group. Like Flacco, however, Schaub won’t be quite considered elite until he adds an AFC title to his resume.

“He doesn’t get a lot of attention, because we haven’t been that successful up until last season,” Brown said of Schaub. “This year, a lot of people will see exactly what kind of player he is. He’s led us to some big wins and has played at a high level for a long time.”

Beyond possessing the necessary qualities of a successful passer -- arm strength, decision-making accuracy -- Schaub clearly has the other, equally important half of playing quarterback down with his leadership qualities.

That showed late last season and through the playoffs, even when Schaub wasn’t healthy enough to take the field. After a rash of quarterback injuries, the Texans were down to then rookie T.J. Yates as their starter to finish the year.

Schaub could have kept his head hanging low, trying to play vicariously through Yates, who got the playoff chance Schaub had long awaited. Instead Schaub embraced everything behind the scenes to keep the team on the track to win a playoff game against Cincinnati and come close to another against Baltimore.

“He was down in the dumps last year, being injured, not being able to play, but he was still working hard to help this team out,” Yates said. “Even though he was hurt, he was still one of the leaders -- he was there every practice and didn’t take one meeting off. He was still there earlier than everybody and stayed later.”

Yates got high praise for the poise he showed in being thrown into the hottest part of Houston’s season. But he gives much of the credit to how well prepared he was to Schaub’s presence.

“He helped me out a ton, more than anybody would realize,” Yates said. “Every little tidbit of information that passes through his head, he passes on to me. You can’t ask for a better teammate to be helping you out all the way through.”

When Schaub is at the helm, he gets plenty of help from not only Brown and a top offensive line, but also two of the league’s premier offensive skill players.

Wide receiver Andre Johnson, hamstrung himself for a good part of last season, showed that in the playoffs that he remains an explosive downfield threat. At 31, he’s the same age as Schaub, and has been on the same page with him for a while.

Running back Arian Foster won the league rushing title two seasons ago, but he’s been just as valuable to Schaub as a passing-game outlet who makes big plays in open field after the catch.

Forming “triplets” with that pair over the past three years has eased the pressure on Schaub. He can now be the ultimate facilitator in spreading the ball around the friend.

“Andre is what makes our offense go, with as much attention as he demands,” Schaub said. “Arian in the run game and as a receiver, creating mismatches, we ask him to do a lot. It’s my job to distribute the football and get everyone in the right place.”

Schaub was in a good place as a quarterback going into last season. The first full year facing off with Wade Phillips’ exceptional 3-4 defensive scheme in practice has further battle-tested Schaub for the kind of stacked alignments -- such as the Ravens and Steelers -- that stand as obstacles in a tough AFC field.

“Going against our group really gets us prepared to go against the top defenses in the league -- the edge pressure, all the blitzes Wade likes to bring,” Schaub said. “The secondary, their cover skills are tremendous -- it really makes it challenging for us as a passing offense to put the ball in the right spot.”

When Schaub, after being traded by the Atlanta Falcons, joined the Texans in March 2007, they were undergoing an expansion-like reconstruction just halfway through their short existence. It was Gary Kubiak’s second year as head coach, and the team needed to overhaul both personnel and scheme on both offense and defense to steer back toward the playoffs.

Schaub and Johnson, and now former Texans defensive end Mario Williams, the first overall pick in ’06, were big parts of the foundation. Schaub appreciates the steady climb the team has taken to reach the point of contending for a Super Bowl.

“We starting building this staircase, and it was a slow staircase,” Schaub said. “There were a lot of years where he had everything in place but didn’t quite get there. We finished 9-7 in 2009, and we dipped a little in 2010.

“But it was all worth it. It made last year that much more exciting for everyone -- to finally achieve that goal that we had been trying to attain. It made getting into this year more exciting, knowing where we could get if we just take care of our business.”

Although Schaub didn’t play in the playoffs, he’s already hooked on the team having a second shot at it while he aims to make it his first.

“Last year was a big step -- the next step in the progression of this organization and franchise,” Schaub said. “I can definitely see it coming and the city can feel it. We got to taste a little bit of the playoffs last year. When you get that taste, you want more. It’s addicting.”

Schaub did go to the playoffs with the Falcons in 2004, when he started one game as a rookie backup quarterback. It’s been a long journey for Schaub to have such a possibility as Houston’s starter, but he never lost sight that he could put himself in that position.

“When I was drafted by Atlanta, I knew my role and knew what I would be asked to do,” Schaub said. “I knew there were going to be opportunities to showcase what I can do, but I knew it was Michael Vick’s team.

“I thought an opportunity would present itself if played well enough -- which I thought I did. When that opportunity was to come to Houston, I was ecstatic about it.”

Now that Schaub’s vision has become reality, he’s not about to let up with the room that remains between him and the top.

“I saw that progression happening, but your career only unfolds from how hard you work at it,” Schaub said. “As long as you keep working and keep focused on your job, someone’s going to be looking at you.”

The Texans haven’t looked back since deciding to trade for and make Schaub their starting quarterback. After finally ending the Indianapolis Colts’ run of control in the AFC South last season, Houston has become the new targeted power that everyone in the division is trying to topple. Schaub thinks the Texans are prepared for the heat that comes with a brighter spotlight.

“You get to a certain point as a franchise where you want to be that team that’s talked about, year in and year out,” Schaub said. “Everyone’s gunning for you, and you’re not going to sneak up on anybody anymore. Enough guys in our locker room understand that, we’re going to be ready.”

“I would have been ready last year if I could have stood up. I’m just excited to be a part of it and keep going."

It’s been quite a run for NFL quarterbacks drafted in ‘04, when the Falcons selected Schaub in the third round. In that year, before the draft, he was on the same Senior Bowl South roster as Chargers four-time Pro Bowler Philip Rivers. Roethlisberger got to his two Super Bowl wins quickly, and that year’s No. 1 overall pick, Eli Manning, is just coming off winning his second ring for the Giants this February.

Schaub would like to be included in that latter company and boost the already impressive pedigree of his draft class. With a clean slate in the playoffs, however, he knows what it will take to be mentioned in the same breath with Roethlisberger and Manning.

“Championships are how we are ultimately judged â€" did they win a championship with their guys? It’s did you hold the trophy in the end and if you are the last one standing,” Schaub said. “I definitely want to be in that fold where I can get some hardware.”

Winning the Super Bowl won’t be easy for Schaub and the Texans, but looking at the road the team already has traveled, there are only a few hard bumps left.