Matt Schaub is healthy enough to play, Houston Texans just want to start Case Keenum

Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum (7) looks to throw a pass during the second half of the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

It was reported earlier today by the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub has torn ligaments in his ankle, which could very well have been a  “let’s save face by leaking this golden nugget in order to justify starting player X over player Y”.

The Houston Texans official Twitter feed tweeted out that Kubiak’s decision to pick Keenum as the starter over Schaub for this week’s crucial AFC South matchup against the Indianapolis Colts is performance-based. He said, “Matt’s health is fine. It’s a decision based on what I saw take place last week with Case.”

At this point, there are enough reasons to justify starting Schaub or Keenum that it doesn’t matter who you go with. As long as the Texans are able to manage this situation properly, then they should be fine. When it seems obvious that Keenum is overwhelmed and is no longer the Texans best option to win games, then the Texans have to go back to Schaub. This team has too much talent to go with a young QB for the sake of “seeing how he plays”, because they can’t have the mentality of a rebuilding team, unless if the season gets out of hand. Schaub has played poorly this season, yes, but his play has been the result of awful decisions, which could easily be rectified with a second stint. If Schaub’s head has cooled and he has a better presence of mind after the benching, then it is certainly possible that he can come in and play like he did in year’s past.

But at this point, Kubiak is a huge fan of Keenum, and Keenum did well enough to earn a second look. With Schaub suffering from what seems to be a manageable ankle sprain, it’s all Keenum right now. The Texans have to make sure that they know when/if they need to switch QBs again, because it isn’t inconceivable that Keenum struggles or something this year. It was undoubtedly a tough call for the Texans to make, but I think they made the right call for now. If Keenum continues to play well, then it’s fair to wonder where Schaub ends up next.

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