matt schaub(right choice)

[tificoach]

5. Is Matt Schaub (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6849) the savior of the Texans' offense?
The answer is he had better be. For five years, David Carr (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5887) tried every configuration of offense, but it didn't work because of poor offensive-line blocking. He tried quick throws. He tried roll-outs. The results still ended up being too many sacks. Head coach Gary Kubiak felt change was needed, so he traded for former Atlanta backup Schaub, who is a tall, smart quarterback who gets rid of the ball fast.
First, Kubiak has to establish a running game with Ahman Green (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4261). Second, he needs to find a receiver on the other side of Andre Johnson (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6339); Kevin Walter (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6591) is the leading candidate. The team is considering the signing of Keenan McCardell (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=2014), which wouldn't be a bad idea. The Texans' starters are the youngest in the NFL. The team is particularly young on defense. Offense has been the biggest problem, and Kubiak is banking on Schaub to be the answer to the problems. John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

[The Pencil Neck]

In one of the games last year, Carr barely had time to finish taking the ball from the center before defensive players tackeled him in the backfield. Twice.
Yes, Carr had problems holding onto the ball. But to justify the o-line playing like ******? Get your head out of the clouds. Oh wait, those are not clouds...
Yes, we needed a better QB. But many GREAT QBs became great because they had all day to throw from behind massive o-lines. As much as you hate to admit it, Carr NEVER had that luxury.

There are a ton of examples last year where Carr had plenty of time to throw and then didn't pull the trigger.
If you're on a 3 step drop, you have got to get the ball out. You don't have enough blockers. Carr consistently did not throw the ball on time.
In the Raider game (a game we WON), Carr went back, had 2 open receivers looking at him, and instead of throwing it, he pulled the ball down and tried to scramble. He held the ball low and it was knocked out and returned for a TD. In the Giants game, Carr goes back on a 3 step drop, has open receivers, doesn't see them, pumps the ball instead of throwing it on time, then panics and runs INTO the rush for a sack.
Our line is not a great line. But if the QB isn't getting the ball out on time to the open receivers, the line is going to look worse than it is. A great QB makes their line look better than it is. Even an average QB can make their line look much better than a bad QB. Look at Romo vs. Bledsoe or VY vs. Collins or Brady vs. Bledsoe or McNair vs. Boller or Marino vs. Anyone or Anyone vs. Rob Johnson. With an average QB, our line will go from looking like a shambles to looking... average. And average is good enough to win. If our QB is better than average, our line will look good.
We still need to look at more moves to improve our line. I don't think Spencer is coming back and even if he does, he only played a game last year. Salaam did OK against most teams (except the Titans) but he's not what I want at LT. I don't think Black is an upgrade. The center position also worries me. So I wouldn't be surprised if our FO makes some more moves to shore up our line. BUT, the biggest problem with our line has been addressed... and that was the QB. We'll have to wait and see if he's as good as advertised.

[Wolf123]

First of all matt schaub is the right quarterback for this team. He may not have carr's speed or his strong arm but honestly how many times did car use that strong arm of his. What this offense needed was a good decision maker and thats what matt will bring.
Secondly, the o-line wasn't great last year but it wasn't as bad as what carr made it look. To many times he perseved pressure when there wasn't any.

[HydrOshocK]

First of all matt schaub is the right quarterback for this team. He may not have carr's speed or his strong arm but honestly how many times did car use that strong arm of his. What this offense needed was a good decision maker and thats what matt will bring.
Secondly, the o-line wasn't great last year but it wasn't as bad as what carr made it look. To many times he perseved pressure when there wasn't any.

For real. That strong arm was great at throwing dump offs and 5-10 yrd routes.

[Wolf123]

If he wasn't already running around the pocket.

[lamont]

I swaer if I hear one more person make reference to the O-Line Im going to scream. I can't wait till this season begins so this myth can be finally put to rest

[South Texan]

Call it my homer imagination, but it seemed to me the line was getting better late in the season last year as they began to get used to each other. I don't look for them to be great, but I think they have a realistic chance of being decent. We didn't have a running game till late in the season, I think Green/Dayne will have to be respected from game 1 this year. Matt has an "over the top" style vs. Carr's sidearm delivery, I think we will see way fewer balls batted down at the line this year. Matt also seems to have better pocket presence than Carr. I am looking for good things from the "O" this year.
The one I blame for the sacks Carr took is Dom Capers. It seems to me like he got a kid fresh out of college with a lot of raw talent, and just tossed him and the rest of the team to the wolves and said "Figure it out on your own, I only coach generalities." By the time Kubiak got Carr he was so deep in the quicksand (see the movie "The Replacements" if you haven't) it was going to take too long to pull him out. I actually still think David has a good chance to salvage the second half of his career if he get's a couple of years of good foundations with his new team and wish him the best of luck.
Back to the New Texans... I think because of his leadership skills, Matt will get more out of the team this year, and is better suited to our offense, i. e. he is the right choice.

[HJam72]

Call it my homer imagination, but it seemed to me the line was getting better late in the season last year as they began to get used to each other. I don't look for them to be great, but I think they have a realistic chance of being decent. We didn't have a running game till late in the season, I think Green/Dayne will have to be respected from game 1 this year. Matt has an "over the top" style vs. Carr's sidearm delivery, I think we will see way fewer balls batted down at the line this year. Matt also seems to have better pocket presence than Carr. I am looking for good things from the "O" this year.
The one I blame for the sacks Carr took is Dom Capers. It seems to me like he got a kid fresh out of college with a lot of raw talent, and just tossed him and the rest of the team to the wolves and said "Figure it out on your own, I only coach generalities." By the time Kubiak got Carr he was so deep in the quicksand (see the movie "The Replacements" if you haven't) it was going to take too long to pull him out. I actually still think David has a good chance to salvage the second half of his career if he get's a couple of years of good foundations with his new team and wish him the best of luck.
Back to the New Texans... I think because of his leadership skills, Matt will get more out of the team this year, and is better suited to our offense, i. e. he is the right choice.


I'd guess that was because of the running game getting better, which comes down to Vonta Leach's run blocking. You get a better running game, and your pass blocking starts looking better. I think you make a very good point about Carr, Capers, and generalities. Capers needed a great OC and to keep his own hands off of the offense. Instead, he started with an average OC, stuck his hands in where they didn't belong, screwed it all up, and then handed the reigns to a really bad OC--before they all got their butts canned.

[Zagen30]

In one of the games last year, Carr barely had time to finish taking the ball from the center before defensive players tackeled him in the backfield. Twice.
Yes, Carr had problems holding onto the ball. But to justify the o-line playing like ******? Get your head out of the clouds. Oh wait, those are not clouds...
Yes, we needed a better QB. But many GREAT QBs became great because they had all day to throw from behind massive o-lines. As much as you hate to admit it, Carr NEVER had that luxury.

Most of us admit that our OL wasn't great, and that situations such as those weren't Carr's fault. But as others have mentioned, there were many more times where Carr had the time to make a play and didn't.
We're just annoyed that people constantly refer to out OL as "terrible", when in reality it was more in the range of being "okay" (with a sort of wary tone put into saying it). It wasn't great, but it wasn't atrocious most of the time.

[ObsiWan]

In one of the games last year, Carr barely had time to finish taking the ball from the center before defensive players tackeled him in the backfield. Twice.
Yes, Carr had problems holding onto the ball. But to justify the o-line playing like ******? Get your head out of the clouds. Oh wait, those are not clouds...
Yes, we needed a better QB. But many GREAT QBs became great because they had all day to throw from behind massive o-lines. As much as you hate to admit it, Carr NEVER had that luxury.

Okay, I see your two "barely had time" sacks and raise you two "run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage" sacks and two more "throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage" sacks. He also did that twice in one series.
[:)]

[Zagen30]

In one of the games last year, Carr barely had time to finish taking the ball from the center before defensive players tackeled him in the backfield. Twice.
Yes, Carr had problems holding onto the ball. But to justify the o-line playing like ******? Get your head out of the clouds. Oh wait, those are not clouds...
Yes, we needed a better QB. But many GREAT QBs became great because they had all day to throw from behind massive o-lines. As much as you hate to admit it, Carr NEVER had that luxury.

Okay, I see your two "barely had time" sacks and raise you two "run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage" sacks and two more "throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage" sacks. He also did that twice in one series.
[:)]

Well I'll raise you All In. Not sure what that constitutes, but I'm game for it, are YOU?

[HydrOshocK]

In one of the games last year, Carr barely had time to finish taking the ball from the center before defensive players tackeled him in the backfield. Twice.
Yes, Carr had problems holding onto the ball. But to justify the o-line playing like ******? Get your head out of the clouds. Oh wait, those are not clouds...
Yes, we needed a better QB. But many GREAT QBs became great because they had all day to throw from behind massive o-lines. As much as you hate to admit it, Carr NEVER had that luxury.

Okay, I see your two "barely had time" sacks and raise you two "run out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage" sacks and two more "throw the ball beyond the line of scrimmage" sacks. He also did that twice in one series.
[:)]

WOW..........I fold [:(]

[Jwwillis1]

lol...I call and Im holding a full house. 3-telegraphed passes resulting in interception/2 - Passes tipped at the LOS for a loss or interception.

[HydrOshocK]

Pssst.....*whispering* Hydro...slip me the "pass to the camera man" card and I'll slip it to ObsiWan. [;)]
LMAO .......the wild card trumps all! [:D]

[NeedQB]

Is Schaub a German boy? Then no problems. There will be no emotion & the will to win.
We need a QB who can be this team leader & drive us to victory.

[caddy]

I swaer if I hear one more person make reference to the O-Line Im going to scream. I can't wait till this season begins so this myth can be finally put to rest which myth are you talking about? The one where we a going into the 6 th year with LT. worries, or you are going with the older miths about us have no offensive line at all.

[ObsiWan]

I swaer if I hear one more person make reference to the O-Line Im going to scream. I can't wait till this season begins so this myth can be finally put to rest which myth are you talking about? The one where we a going into the 6 th year with LT. worries, or you are going with the older miths about us have no offensive line at all.
...more likely the myth that the Texans supposedly had an NFL-caliber QB for the last 5 yrs...
...but like the Loch Ness monster and Sasquatch, there's no actual scientific proof, only multiple reported "eye-witness" sightings... however, one must point out that none of these "sightings" were made by totally impartial observers
[^o)]

[ObsiWan]

I see Neocon resorted to mocking me, but the FACT still remains that the O-line was never better than average or "okay" as another poster pointed out. If all you can do is ridicule me, then take your own "football knowledge" and cram it where the sun don't shine. I'd rather talk real football.
Carr made bad decisions. That is a given and I did not deny that. IMO, you just hated Carr so much that you wanted it to be all on him. But it wasn't. Not every play. Games are won or lost in the trenches. We've never had an o-line to build a winning program around. Hopefully with Smith as GM we keep addressing the line in the coming years as much as we have been addressing the defensive side of the ball.

Our O-line was cursed since the selection of Tony Boselli instead of Randall McDaniel or Bruce Matthews - yeah, they were left in the expansion pool. You guys should check out the list of players and think "what if"...
http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0122/1315608.html
In fact that might be worth a new thread.

[Zagen30]

I see Neocon resorted to mocking me, but the FACT still remains that the O-line was never better than average or "okay" as another poster pointed out. If all you can do is ridicule me, then take your own "football knowledge" and cram it where the sun don't shine. I'd rather talk real football.
Carr made bad decisions. That is a given and I did not deny that. IMO, you just hated Carr so much that you wanted it to be all on him. But it wasn't. Not every play. Games are won or lost in the trenches. We've never had an o-line to build a winning program around. Hopefully with Smith as GM we keep addressing the line in the coming years as much as we have been addressing the defensive side of the ball.

Our O-line was cursed since the selection of Tony Boselli instead of Randall McDaniel or Bruce Matthews - yeah, they were left in the expansion pool. You guys should check out the list of players and think "what if"...
http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0122/1315608.html
In fact that might be worth a new thread.

Yeah, like "what if we took Willie McGinest?" [:O]
I can't believe he was available and we didn't grab him. He even played in the 3-4, so it's not like he'd have had a hard transition!
It probably wouldn't have changed too much, as our LBs weren't the problem early on, but still...We might not have drafted Babin if we had McGinest.
Upon further thought, nah, we would have dumped him like we did Glenn. After some consideration, it wouldn't have changed anything.

[ObsiWan]

reeeeally.....?
Not even Boselli?
If there was ONE thing I could change about that draft it would be this...
HOUSTON (Feb. 13, 2002) -- The Houston Texans (http://www.nfl.com/teams/HOU.html) won't say which players they plan to select in the NFL expansion draft (http://www.nfl.com/draft/2002/expansion/). They are going to bypass at least one group, however.
"Any player over 30, we've eliminated from our thinking," general manager Charley Casserly said. "We are assuming contracts in the draft, so that's where age comes in.
"You look at players you think can play out their contracts and if they can, we put them on a list to take."
That would eliminate 43 of the 155 players in the pool of players unprotected by the existing 31 NFL teams.