Houston have had their worst fears confirmed over quarterback Matt Schaub, as his season is now officially over with a foot injury.
Texans put Schaub on IR and hand team to Leinart
Houston have had their worst fears confirmed over quarterback Matt Schaub, as his season is now officially over with a foot injury.
Schaub had guided the Texans to the top of the AFC South with a 7-3 record as they look for a first ever play-off spot, and now Matt Leinart will carry those hopes as he steps in at quarterback, with Houston signing Kellen Clemens as a back-up.
Schaub suffered a Lisfranc injury that will require surgery, with Houston reluctantly putting him on injured reserve after the quarterback went for a second opinion from a specialist on Wednesday.
"We were kind of holding out hope that maybe they saw a way he might rest and come back at the end, but they didn't think that was going to happen," said Houston coach Gary Kubiak.
"It's disappointing. I hurt for him because he's having a Pro Bowl season, but he'll be back and he'll play a long time at a high level."
Form
Schaub was indeed enjoying a Pro Bowl-type season, with him topping the AFC in yards per throw and coming in second in QB passer rating after compiling 2,479 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in his ten games so far.
Despite a reputation for having health issues in the past, Schaub had not missed a start since the 2008 season, and he looked at every option to get back on the field this season before having to concede it was over.
"It's tough to take," Schaub told the Houston Chronicle. "It's frustrating. The team's having such a good season, and they're going to continue having a good season. It's unfortunate that it had to end this way, but for the long run, it's best to get it fixed.
"I tried to search all options to try to find a way back to play - anything we could do - but in the long run, it probably wouldn't have held up. I kind of expected this, but I wanted to get a feel for what (the specialist's) thoughts were and make a decision from there."
The Texans have brought in former New York Jets and Washington Redskins quarterback Clemens as an experienced back-up, but Kubiak has already said he is comfortable leaving the team in Leinart's hands.
Opportunity
Former Heisman Trophy winner Leinart now has a golden opportunity to show what he can really do after failing to replicate his college form in the NFL so far.
Suspicions about his attitude and work ethic clouded his time in Arizona when he failed to secure the starting spot, but now he has a solid platform behind a team in form with a strong defence and powerful running game.
Leinart knows he has been lucky to get another chance, and is desperate to grasp it with both hands after deciding to stay in Houston over the summer instead of joining his former USC boss Pete Carroll in Seattle.
"I would have been the third quarterback behind Tarvaris (Jackson) and Charlie Whitehurst learning a brand-new offense," Leinart said on the NFL Network's Rich Eisen podcast.
"I'm blessed that I was able to sign with Houston last year. This is an offense that is more suited to my skill set, more similar to what we ran at USC.
"I've really just kind of put my head down and just worked my tail off. I haven't said anything, I've always been positive. I've kind of taken my lumps and my hits and just continued to work hard hoping one day I would get an opportunity to show that I can be a starter in this league. That's all I've wanted and now the time has come for me to show that."
Having dominant wide receiver Andre Johnson back from injury will also be a huge boost for Leinart, but the Texans will rue him returning just as Schaub has seen his season end.
