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Schaub’s performance improves Texans’ O-line
By Nolan Nawrocki
ProFootballWeekly.com
Sept. 17, 2007
Ever since Tony Boselli failed to take a snap for the Texans after they drafted him in the expansion draft from a pool of league veterans, the subject of the offensive line has been a widely discussed topic in Houston.
David Carr was sacked a record 76 times as a rookie in 2002, shattering the mark that had been set by Randall Cunningham of 72 in 1986. With continued growth and a slew of early draft picks in coming years, the Texans expected to improve in this area. However, it did not, as Carr was sacked another 68 times in '05 and the problem never got better. The problem would not even go away after former NFL quarterback and QB guru Gary Kubiak was hired in '06.
The natural tendency was to blame the offensive line. It did not feature a Pro Bowler and struggled to establish a consistent starting lineup because of all the injuries it suffered through the years. However, as Matt Schaub showed vs. the Panthers, when he was not sacked once, the times a quarterback is sacked is often not indicative of the quality of an offensive line.
Before Schaub steps to the line of scrimmage, he is reading the defense. When he sets in the pocket, he does not let his eyes drop to the defensive line at the first flash of pressure, as Carr often did. Instead, he sets quickly and keeps his eyes downfield, yet is still able to feel pressure and deliver the ball quickly when needed. When pass rushers are not accounted for, he is quick to adjust, as he did when Panthers SLB Thomas Davis unexpectedly came free after ORT Eric Winston appeared to mistakingly block down. Schaub could have been blindsided, but he showed great awareness, sensed Davis coming and quickly hit WR Andre Johnson in stride crossing the middle for what Johnson turned into a 31-yard TD reception to counter the Panthers' 14-0 lead.
Perhaps most impressive was the Texans’ ensuing drive, when on a 4th-and-4 situation early in the second quarter, with Panthers DE Mike Rucker crashing down hard, Schaub fit the ball into tight double coverage to TE Owen Daniels, and followed it with another perfect strike to Andre Johnson just over the top of MLB Dan Morgan several plays later to tie the game, 14-14. The drive completely shifted the momentum in the game. One of the most undervalued qualities of a passer that good scouts usually chart closely is how he performs in pressure situations. Can he convert on third and fourth downs and keep the sticks moving? Through two weeks, Schaub has shown he can, and for the first time in the history of the franchise, it is no coincidence that the Texans are 2-0. And better yet, no one is talking about the O-line.
Some eyebrows were raised when the Texans made the bold decision to go after Schaub, but don’t think for a second the Falcons do not wish they had him back. In Joey Harrington, the Falcons are encountering many of the same problems the Texans formerly had, as the timid Harrington was dropped seven times vs. the Jaguars. Less than two minutes into the game, you knew it was going to be a long day for the Falcons. Twice Harrington was dropped, the first coming with a surge from the Jaguars’ fierce front four and the second on a delayed frontside blitz that he should have seen coming. It is part of his job to sense before the snap when and where pressure might be coming from and be able to hit a hot route. Harrington, like Carr, just cannot handle pressure well.