The quarterback drama appears to be just beginning in Houston. The Texans cannot escape the discussions after veteran Matt Schaub was benched in favor of backup TJ Yates as the team went on to lose to the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Gary Kubiak stuck with Schaub for as long as possible despite the fans crying for a change. Coach the benching be a sign of future moves to come?
Schaub's day was over after he threw his third interception of the night. Yates entered the game in the fourth quarter as the team was already down 24-3. Schaub had his fourth consecutive game with a pick-six, an NFL record no quarterback wants to own. His performance was ugly and Kubiak simply hopes it is his rock bottom.
The veteran finished the night going 19-of-35 in passing for zero touchdowns and the three interceptions. Kubiak threatened to put Yates in the game and he did.
"I think it was time for him [Yates] to get some reps," Kubiak said, via ESPN.com. "Obviously, Matt took some hits and made some mistakes. And I just told him I was going to put T.J. in the game - and we're going to go from there and talk about it after the game or throughout the course of the week and see where we're at."
Yates finished the night going a mere 3-of-5 in passing for 15 yards as his time on the field really meant nothing. After the game, Kubiak insisted that Schaub would indeed remain the starter in Week 6 against the St. Louis Rams and the team would focus on improvement throughout the week. Schaub was not thrilled of his performance either, but stress that he has everyone's support in the locker room.
"Obviously, it's tough right now," Schaub said. "After what we've been through tonight, going back to last weekend and even the week before. I am very confident in my ability and everyone in this locker room."
Despite a rough couple of weeks, Schaub still entered the game with a league-average passer rating. He has had moments of success this season, proving that deep down he is still a decent starting quarterback. However, one more bad performance and Yates could possibly be the permanent starter for the team. Kubiak has not been thrilled with the development of Yates or Case Keenum, but something will have to change if Schaub tosses one more pick-six.
