Haynesworth ready to take shots at Schaub

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky

HOUSTON -- Albert Haynesworth has made a habit of complimenting Texans backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels and taking shots at starter Matt Schaub.


HaynesworthSchaub

Haynesworth and the Titans' defensive line will try to harass Schaub into mistakes Sunday at Reliant Stadium. Schaub will try to maintain his composure under pressure and avoid the sort of interceptions and turnovers that remain a big issue for an increasingly productive offense.

Last week in a win at Lambeau Field, Schaub threw for a franchise-record 414 yards.

"Anytime a quarterback has thrown for 400 yards, it's amazing," Haynesworth said. "We're going to have to go in there looking to shut him down and not letting him gain a ton of yards and I guess embarrass us like he embarrassed Green Bay."

The Titans knocked Schaub out of two games last season. He played the whole game in the first matchup this season posting his worst passer rating in eight starts this season by far. His 27.8 was built on a 45.9 completion percentage, three picks and no TDs and also came with three sacks.

Is Schaub now a different quarterback than the one Haynesworth has taken jabs at in the past?

"No, it'll be the same old guy," Haynesworth said. "He still remembers us, at the end of that first hit, he'll remember who I am. And then on the next hit I will introduce myself again to him. We're just going to have to get after him. That's our game plan; hit the quarterback as many times as you possibly can and he'll start cringing before you even get there. That's our game plan against Peyton [Manning] or Ben Roethlisberger. We want the quarterback to think about us and not think about throwing the ball down the field."

So, you don't want to single Schaub out?

"No, that'll be alright," he said. "Maybe after the game."

In his eight starts this year, Schaub has gone without an interception in three games, but he's thrown a total of nine in the other five games.

What's Schaub think of the Titans' pass pressure?

"You just have to go out there and know that it's coming and just get yourself ready for it," he told Houston reporters this week. "Just go out there and play and distribute the football, get rid of it. Stay balanced and keep your third downs manageable. All those things. Stay true to your game plan."

As for Haynesworth....

"Well, he's a huge obstacle," Schaub said. "He's a guy that takes up a lot of room in the middle and he demands two people. When they have the front four that they have, it's hard to give too much attention to one guy because then there's other guys left on islands on the other side of the line and in other areas. So, them as a group, they're very tough to handle and it's just a matter of us executing our plan."

"...We know where he's going to line up. He lines up in the same spot every time. So, it's just about going out and dropping back and throwing the football and I trust in those guys up front that they are going to do their jobs."



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