ETA: And keep in mind, the guy played under a big-time spotlight at USC. I don't know if that still has relevance 5 years later - but he's played on big stages before and I don't remember any instances of him shrinking from the situation. In the '06 Rose Bowl, for instance, he went 29/41 for 365 with 1 TD and 1 INT. (As just one FYI example.)
I think you are going to be disappointed. For all the talk about Schaub's weak arm, the numbers don't back up that it limits him on deep passes. Leinart is a whole 'nother animal. His arm is weak and I don't expect him to be accurate on deep passes.
I like Leinart. I said in pre-season that I saw something different than the people who were ripping him. He looks good in the pocket. While he checks down, it never looks like it did when Carr was playing and doing the same check downs. It never looks like he is flustered. He stands in there. I think he will play well. I think fans will be annoyed because he won't go down field much, but I think the offense will keep humming along. I think check downs to Foster and Casey will be the best plays we have.
I'm not overly worried either, given that even with Schaub asking for a playoff win still might have been a lot. The team has made strides, and Kubiak will probably save his job, but for a franchise that's never been to the playoffs and a QB that one too many times has thrown a pick 6 in critical situations (don't get me wrong, I'm a big Schaub fan, but it's the truth), on a team not that far removed from some of the most amazing end of game meltdowns you've ever seen (last year vs. Jets, Jags, etc.), missing it's best defensive player (even though they've compensated), with its best offensive player already injured... well, with Schaub they might have snuck out a playoff win or two, but a championship run... seems highly unlikely. It's even less likely with Leinart, obviously. And maybe making the offense more about managing the game could actually help a bit - certainly if you were in a game against the Patriots, for example, it'd be nice that you are now forced to play more of a manage the clock type game anyway. BUT, this isn't a Tom Brady situation. If Leinart really has matured, and is better, and fits the system, we know he's not the next Joe Montana or anything. He may be a serviceable quarterback, that on an all time great defensive team, with the chips falling the right way, and lack of any serious all time great competition in the playoffs, could maybe, just maybe make a Superbowl run. But it's ridiculously unlikely. If they play the Ravens again, they've got no chance if they have to go on the road. If the play the Steelers again, well I just don't feel good about that road or home with Leinart at QB. There's no way they'd be a favorite against the Patriots... though that's more about the other side of the ball. They'd probably have the best odds against the Jets, since Sanchez sucks, but can Leinart move the ball against that d? I'd be happy to eat crow, but c'mon, we all know asking for a playoff win at this point is pretty unlikely. The bigger long-term picture is what to do at QB going forward. I mean Schaub isn't old, but he isn't young anymore either. At this point he's never proven what he can do in the playoffs anyway. And he's teetering on the edge of permanently injury prone. Not that it's his fault. Or that you could definitely say this guy's going to get injured again - he could play 16 games a season for the next five years. But he will have failed to play more than 11 games in 3 of his 5 seasons with the Texans. So he's missing 31%+ of his games in 3 of the 5 years - equivalent to a basketball player missing 25+ games. It's not just that he's injured - Brady missed a full year, Manning is out this year, it's that he's injured consistently. TJ Yates seems like a Matt Leinart type to me, though I understand he throws a solid deep ball. I almost wish TJ was a year older with some reps already, cause I'd be interested to see what he can do. I just don't think Leinart has a huge ceiling (I mean we're hopeful he is manageable). Where to get the QB of the future?
I feel better after getting some sleep. Hopefully, his so-called renewed work ethic since he has been a Texan pays dividends.
How can he be labeled "consistently injured" when he has started all 16 games for each of the past 2 seasons?
I don't think he has a stronger arm that Schaub, but that's beside the point. Who is the better QB? Schaub or Leinart? That's really the bottom line.
How many times do you read my posts and say "Damn I wish I would have said that"? Keep hating bro. Your jealousy fuels me.
Surprised no one has mentioned this... But the O-line is the biggest key to how Leinart is productive... We can't have many penalties beacuse frankly, 1st and 15/20, for this Leinart led team, sounds like a punt waiting to happen....
I pretty much laid it out already. In 60% of his seasons as a starter he misses more than 31% of the games. It's hard enough to win big in the NFL. To try and do so when your quarterback is a coin flip from finishing the season, seems like a tough road to hoe. I'm hopeful Matt has a long and healthy career. It'd be foolish not to try and find the QB of the future sooner rather than later, though.
I would think starting all games for the past 2 seasons breaks up the consistently injured label, but since this is the first time he'll miss games due to injury in more than 2 years, yeah I guess he's consistently injured.
Jay - it's the NFL. Nearly every big time player has 2-3 years with big injuries. It's a violent sport. There are very few stars that avoid it, and that's why such a big deal was made about Favre's and Peyton's active start streaks. Guys that are constantly (as in, annual basis) missing time or hampered with nagging injuries like a groin or hamstring pull or turf toe are considered injury prone. Mario or Andre come a lot closer to the label than Schaub.
What does it matter who is better? Leinart is the guy now and Schaub has little to no chance of returning this year.
And his injury in 2008 was due to that cheap shot by Jared Allen. If not for that cheap shot, he wouldn't have missed a single start since 2007. I certainly wouldn't call that injury-prone.
I'll say this -- if Kubiak can get Leinart to look like a real NFL starting QB and make plays, and we get to the playoffs and win or play a very competitive playoff game (without any playcalling screwing us over), I may just support the idea of another extension for Kubiak. After next season of course. I think Leinart can be better than Mark Sanchez. We have a better running game than the Jets have had, and our defense may not be far behind theirs. If they can get to an AFC championship, so can we.
Hells yeah! He doesn't have to do much,, complete a pass every now and then and just manage the game and hand off to Arian... I think Matt can do it and can go 4-2 the rest of the way and be in the playoffs...Just don't try to be the hero and manage the game
well, clearly not consistently in the sense of all the time... so definitely the wrong word. how about injured with meaningful frequency? I don't really care how it's defined, or how the injuries happen.... cause I've done that trick on myself with T-Mac and Yao. It was a freak accident, or a cheap shot, or there was a healthy season or two mixed in there. Don't get me wrong, I give Matt credit for being healthy the past 2 full seasons. Moreover, unlike the NBA, I find it unlikely that we're missing out on some kind of meaningful trade opportunity if we were to have traded Schaub before he becomes too injured (if he does). But I think it's only prudent to recognize that Matt has had a problem staying healthy, for whatever reason, on the whole.
