Article about Kubes/Schuab

[kmc1499]

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I think Rich Gannon was right, we cant have this guy taking those blind side hits. He is going to have to get better at reading the blitz.

6. The Gary Kubiak/Matt Schaub relationship

There are several people, myself included, who believe this could be the year the Texans get over the hump.

But there are many red flags.

There are questions on the defensive line. Dunta Robinson apparently needs a navigation system or a clue to find Houston. Brian Cushing has missed valuable time.

And then there's the coach on the hot seat and the quarterback on the hot seat helping each other save their jobs.

I asked Gary Kubiak at the scouting combine what Schaub needed to do in 2009.

"His No. 1 goal has got to be to find a way to stay on that football field for 16 weeks," Kubiak said. "And I know that's a hard thing to say, but I think it is something you work at. I think you've got to know when to get it going and avoid some of those hits and make sure you're there for your teammates every week."

Last week on Sirius NFL Radio, I told Schaub what Kubiak said and asked him how to stay healthy for 16 games and what his coach meant by that.

Schaub's response was somewhere between fascinating, telling and a tad frustrating.



The quarterback said, "I guess, you know, you kind of stumped me there. As far as learning how to stay healthy, I don't know, you just kind of, I guess, learn how to take hits better. You get in the training room more. I guess I'm still trying to learn that myself, and I guess this is the year where I'm going to learn how to do that because I'm going to be out there for 16 weeks. It's been unfortunate to be nicked up the past couple of years, but I was happy to get back out there the last month of last season to play those last four games and get back out there with my guys."

To which my Sirius Blitz co-host Rich Gannon, who knows a thing or two about the quarterback position, had this to say: "He talked about taking hits better, getting in the training room more. I say, 'No, no, no.' I love this kid. I think he's got a good chance to be a good player, but his answer is not the answer I was looking for. The way you stay healthy, first of all, (is) you have to look at the players who are staying healthy, guys like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning and Tom Brady (who) before last season was very durable. When you put the film on Monday morning very rarely do you ever see these guys take a hit to the back of the head where they don't see a corner blitz or a weak(side) safety coming clean. They have great vision, great experience, great anticipation, great understanding not only of what they're doing offensively in terms of the protection scheme, but how these defensive coordinators are trying to devise schemes to attack them and get hits on them."

It's a boom-or-bust season for Kubiak and Schaub. They better be on the same page

[TheGoaT]

I dont really agree with what Rich Gannon says. Some hits you cant prevent or avoid. Matt had already gotten rid of the ball when Jared Allen dove at his knees. Several of the hits Matt has taken have drawn fines from the NFL. You cant prevent that. He also gives stupid examples and reasoning. Brett Favre has taken tons of big hits, he doesnt avoid the rushers, for some reason his body is just built well and he can play through pain. Tom Brady as an example was stupid too. Brady took a shot to the knees after releasing the ball last year, how was he to avoid that? This preseason he got slammed to the ground and messed up his shoulder, was he to prevent that one as well? Football is a sport of violence, as the years go by, players get bigger and stronger, and taking hits when you are standing there in the pocket is going to do damage. I think Tom Brady's case proved in todays NFL, skill isnt enough to keep you on the field, you need some luck as well.


As far as being on a hotseat, I think Matt goes on a hotseat before Gary does. I think neither is on one right now.

[wildroot]

I dont really agree with what Rich Gannon says. Some hits you cant prevent or avoid. Matt had already gotten rid of the ball when Jared Allen dove at his knees. Several of the hits Matt has taken have drawn fines from the NFL. You cant prevent that.

I don't know...Matt still has to protect himself AFTER the ball is thrown. He can't stand there watching the play, he's got to watch out for himself. Once he releases the ball or hands the ball off he's got to go into self-preservation mode and protect himself. He can watch the play on re-play later if he needs to. Just because he's released the ball dosen't mean he's safe from taking a hit, legal or not. Yeah OK, he took an illegal shot and is out of the game. The other guy gets fined. Doesn't help us any. Our guy is still hurt. He dosen't see these hits coming. I don't know if it's a vision thing or what, maybe he's coming in from behind him. That's why he can't stand there and watch the play. Even if he feels like he's safe, he's still got to get out. That's the whole point of him taking these shots is that he doesn't see them coming. So just assume someones going to cheap shot him every play. I don't care if he sprints in the opposite direction once the balls out of his hands, he's got to get out of the line of fire once he's out of the play. He has to or he's going to be hurt again.

[TheGoaT]

that reasoning makes zero sense. Name 1 single QB that throws the ball downfield, then turns and runs away from everyone. QBs continue looking downfield because if the ball is picked off, they might be the last one able to make a pick6 saving tackle. Also playing timid trying to worry about who might be hitting you will just lead to mistakes.

[Number 34]

that reasoning makes zero sense. Name 1 single QB that throws the ball downfield, then turns and runs away from everyone. QBs continue looking downfield because if the ball is picked off, they might be the last one able to make a pick6 saving tackle. Also playing timid trying to worry about who might be hitting you will just lead to mistakes.

Agreed. All we need is another QB going fetal on us or making bad decisions because he is scared.

Bottom line is players get hurt no matter how careful you are. Ask AJ, one of the toughest and smartest NFL players in the league.

[Se7en]

This reminds me of a post from a few days back where someone was mad at Dan O for turning his back to the defense on a play action pass play. he wanted Dan O to watch the defenders so he could see the rush before it was too late... only problem is that by having Dan O watch the defense it totallyr emoves the fake hand-off that makes the play action pass work.

The same thing applies here with Schaub is passing under pressure. Schaub has taken large strides in learning when to throw the ball away and when to stay in the pocket and take the big hit while completing a pass for large gains. There are times where taking the big hit in order to give AJ time to get open deep is actually the right call to make, but Schaub's issue has not been his inability to sense pressure, as others have said it is him being unlucky when taking overzealous hits for defenders which have landed them fines or penalties for every one of them.

People will stop calling Schaub injury prone this season.

[Se7en]

The game where brady was hit by fat Albert, he stood there after the throw the same way Schaub does.

Fat Albert didn't do it, some random guy in Kansas City put the hurt on Brady. I do not think you can put the Brady or Schaub injuries to their knees on them at all. it was the defender at fault for losing control of their body and not caring who they hurt as long as they hit someone on the play. The difference between Brady's hit and Schaubs was that Jared Allen never really attempted to tackle Schaub he just dove at his legs to make it look like he was attempting to make a play..

[TheGoaT]

If you are throwing in the pocket with defenders circled around you, Im not exactly sure where you are going to run to. Plus if the defenders see you running, they might assume you still have the ball and hit you.

[Se7en]

If you are throwing in the pocket with defenders circled around you, Im not exactly sure where you are going to run to. Plus if the defenders see you running, they might assume you still have the ball and hit you.

Which is exactly what Jared Allen said when he was running up behind Schaub. He assumed that because Schaub was moving that he still had the ball. Allen couldn't see Schaub so he just decided to hit him anyway... there is no safe way to play football where your QB will always be safe.

[TheGoaT]

As much as I dont want our QB to ever get hurt, the NFL has really gone to the extreme trying to protect QBs. Its gotta be really hard being a defensive lineman trying to hit the QB without some kind of foul. In a few years the QB will be wearing flags on his waist.

[Number 34]

As much as I dont want our QB to ever get hurt, the NFL has really gone to the extreme trying to protect QBs. Its gotta be really hard being a defensive lineman trying to hit the QB without some kind of foul. In a few years the QB will be wearing flags on his waist.

Heh. Wide recievers too.

[wildroot]

that reasoning makes zero sense. Name 1 single QB that throws the ball downfield, then turns and runs away from everyone. QBs continue looking downfield because if the ball is picked off, they might be the last one able to make a pick6 saving tackle. Also playing timid trying to worry about who might be hitting you will just lead to mistakes.

Well him standing there taking shots while he's gazing down field watching the play hasn't excatly worked out well either for us.

Obviously I don't mean for him to actually sprint off the field after each play, but keep your eye on whats going on around you so he can avoid these shots he's taking that's putting him out of games.

[TheGoaT]

if he taking too much time with what ppl around him are doing, hes not reading the defense and putting the ball where it needs to go. Its the o lines job to keep them off of him. All hes going to do by looking down after throwing the ball is get a birds eye view of a 280lb guy diving at him. Its just part of the dangers of the positions and why offensive linemen are the unsung heroes of the sport.

[wildroot]

Schaub's issue has not been his inability to sense pressure, as others have said it is him being unlucky when taking overzealous hits for defenders which have landed them fines or penalties for every one of them.




So is he not feeling the pressure right before the overzealous defender takes his cheap-shot?

I'm simply saying that it's more important TO THE TEAM for him to get outta the way once he's rid himself of the ball and keep his attention on what going on around him so he DOSEN'T get taken out. Once the Ds turned their attention to where the play went then he can look and see if his pass was completed. Seems like when he gets hit, he's usually standing there right in the middle of all the mayhem gazing downfield. He needs to make sure he's not going to be taken out first. As long as he's standing in the middle of all the action it's just easier for someone to "roll" into him and take out a knee. Some QBs do a good job of stepping to the side and out of the way after they've thrown or handed the ball off.

[wildroot]

if he taking too much time with what ppl around him are doing, hes not reading the defense and putting the ball where it needs to go. Its the o lines job to keep them off of him. All hes going to do by looking down after throwing the ball is get a birds eye view of a 280lb guy diving at him. Its just part of the dangers of the positions and why offensive linemen are the unsung heroes of the sport.

I'm saying that he's not watching what going on around him AFTER he's got rid of the ball. Obviously he's got to read the defense and put the ball where it needs to go first, but AFTER the ball is out of his hands, thats when he needs to look out for himself.

And if at that time he gets a birds eye view of a 280 pound O lineman diving at him at least he's got a shot at getting out of the way if he's not looking down field to see if his pass is complete.

Of course it's all part of the dangers of the game, but we're trying to minimize Schaubs exposure right? If he can avoid that one hit that's going to put him out for 6 games, thats a good thing right? Or are you in a hurry to see The O man take the helm?

[TheGoaT]

the only thing he needs to be wary of, is not holding onto the ball too long and making his reads quickly. I wouldnt want him thinking in the back of his head that he needs to throw the ball and then look around him for hits, thats just going to make him lose concentration on making the play in the first place.

[wildroot]

Your making it too complicated...just throw/hand-off the ball then get out of the way.