What Is 'Wrong' With Matt Schaub?

DeMeco and Pollard were on 610AM yesterday morning. Here’s the podcast but, listen to what DeMeco says (28:05) about changing plays at the line and whether he could with Frank Bush.
Also, DeMeco gives his thoughts on moving Cushing to the Mike.

 http://kilt.cbslocal.com/2010/11/09/demeco-ryans-and-bernard-pollard-with-marc-and-john-11910/

Interesting stuff. I would have said before reading this that Schaub was not on pace for the numbers you put at the end.

You must have not gotten the memo about mentioning Kubiak as the Anti-Christ? Otherwise, nice post.

I’d be interested to see the distribution of those pressures though. The problem when you talk about “average” is that you don’t know if that’s the most common result or just the mathematical result of a bunch of data points all over the place. For example, if Schaub is facing 9.42 pressures/game, does that mean he’s getting pressured 9 or 10 times each game, or are there a few games with only 4 or 5 and then a few others with 14 or 15?

Perception is driven by variability, so if it’s the latter, then that would explain why it feels like he’s getting more pressure, but the data only shows a slight increase.

Also, going by the ever-so-flawed QB rating, Schaub’s best games were against Washington, Oakland and KC. In the Washington game, Schaub was sacked 5 times, and hit 9 times, but still managed to put up his best stats of the year, so that game alone might be inflating his “pressured” stats.

Lastly, perception is further fueled by our most vivid and most recent memories and is greatly influenced by recent events. We don’t remember that Washington game so much because it happened almost two months ago. The Monday night game against Indy, however, is much more recent and vivid in our minds, so that helps fuel the “feeling” that Schaub is being pressured much more than previous years, even if the data shows only a slight increase.

All told, I agree that pressures are probably the main reason, but I think more important is the fact that pressures, drops, defensed passes, and thrown away (which is likely attributed to pressure) are ALL up. That the entire passing game is struggling may point to the team having difficulty in adapting to the shift in scheme from Shanahan to Dennison.

when i say
The problem is
We’re not letting him throw the ball enough.

Aside from the numbers, just watching the actual film shows the passes seem to be less accurate this season for some reason. Many are high, low, or behind the receiver. I think he is trying to force it, which usually indicates issues with pressure (or his concern about pressure).

I think Schaub has to take some of the blame, but he has never looked comfortable this year. One reason the sack numbers were good last year was because Schaub got the ball out on time. That’s a result of being comfortable with the design of the offense. That hasn’t been there this year. I’m not saying Dennison is doing a bad job. His improvements to the run game (and yes I think he deserves some of the credit) are enough to say he’s done a good job. For whatever reason Schaub just looks a half a beat slower and a little less sure of what’s going on.

is that our defense sucks?

It’s a sad thing when QB charts and stats can STILL lead to the conclusion that our defense blows.

Which is still the barometer of a good QB right?

The thing though, is that this team needs a #2 guy next to Andre Johnson. Walter is better suited as a slot guy, and Jacoby Jones (love his potential but hate his drops) is more special teams than #2-3 receiver as well. Is Dorian Dickerson going to see the field this year? I know he’s a 7th rounder, but wasn’t Colston a 7th rounder too?

With the first pick in 2011, Houston select’s Andre Johnson’s “Reggie Wayne” as a compliment. Besides, Dressen and Casey look like a solid 1-2 TE punch.

I like the fancy numbers and book-larnin’ ’n sh1+…

I remember someone saying Schaub looks like a rhythm QB, can’t remember who
My theory is that once he gets in that rhythm, he’s dangerous, but if he doesn’t he suffers greatly. One pattern I have noticed is that Schaub has not had the greatest of games when Foster has gone off on defenses. The irony is that Foster’s effectiveness seems to be having a negative effect on Schaub’s rhythm when conventional wisdom usually dictates that a strong running game take pressure off a QB. As much as Kubiak has been preaching about a balanced offense, it seems like the offense goes from pass heavy to run heavy, but never really that balanced.

with Arian Foster eating some of the pie.

The lack of screens is hurting the completion % since we’d have a few easy throws per game last season.

It would be nice to see him spread the ball around and attack the defense vertically a bit more. Also would love to see the offensive line stop looking like crap on pass blocking.

I was just thinking about this in a different way. Like most, I feel teh Schaub is a little off on his throws more this year – not sure why. I have always thought that teh Schaub is a really good QB, in my opinion, the only thing keeping him from being elite is wins.

The Middle of the field seems to have been taken away from teh Schaub a bit. Maybe it is the JJ, Dreesen factor, but I think either the play calling has gone away from middle of the field throws, or that defenses have managed to take it away. It seems a lot of successful throws have been to the middle. Not all but a lot. I do not have the “film” or recorded games to check out my theory, but it just seems that way.

Walter seems to have disappeared after the Redskins game basically. I have no clue what has happened with that.

this year, there’s no threat of the halfback pass.

This year, going into the last game, we were #1 in the NFL in TD efficiency in the red zone. That was the major complaint against this offense in the last 2 years, fixed. Largely because we have a RB that actually punches it in, yes, but the offense was getting it done.

After the Skins game I thought we used up all of our “just do it one time” wishes, but then we came back and actually beat the Chiefs. If we converted one of our two chances to beat the Chargers, we’d be in first place in the South. With 4 division games to go, and the NFL’s worst defense at our disposal, the South is our oyster.

I say lets go 4-0 in the division and see how it all shakes out. Indy is bound to lose a couple games.