Versus Titans, Schaub shows more moxie, toughness

Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky Albert Haynesworth was hardly alone in thinking Matt Schaub could be intimidated by getting hit a lot. The Titans defensive tackle is just most willing to come out and say it.

And early in Sunday's game it certainly looked like the Titans were going to be able to rattle Schaub by pounding him. He lost a fumble on his second play from scrimmage when he was sacked by Jevon Kearse. He got called for an intentional grounding and may have been guilty of another in short order. And after William Hayes gave him a good bump late that drew a roughing call, I thought aloud that it would have been a wise strategy by the Titans to risk a couple additional such penalties in order to really pour it on and get Schaub out of his game.

Then a funny thing happened: he settled down, played through it, stood in when he had to and started getting rid of it before trouble arrived.

On a potential disaster play, he got a break: Late in the second quarter, end Jacob Ford and tackle Tony Brown folded Schaub with a double hit forced a fumble that Kearse recovered, but a booth review ruled that Schaub was down before the ball came out and the Texans kept possession.

Schaub didn't throw a pick in the game and he finished 23 for 39 with 284 yards. Andre Johnson was getting open and making plays, and Schaub got it to him 11 times for 207 yards and the game's lone touchdown.

I've seen Schaub play more against the Titans than against anyone else. Last year they knocked him out of two games. I'm not at all suggesting that he could have played through those injuries. But this time I felt like he was in position to show an additional degree of moxie and toughness.

"I knew they were going to pressure," Schaub said. "I don't care if they are going to talk. I got bigger things to think about and worry about. I knew they were going to bring pressure and they were going to get to me, but so it's my job to drop back and get rid of it. You know they are going to do what they do and I'm just going to keep throwing the ball and keep getting back up. And that's what we were able to do."

One way coach Gary Kubiak and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan could help him out some in the future is by not booting him towards Kearse. The Titans defensive end is still quick enough to blow up such plays.

"He got up one time and was like, 'Good job, Freak, Good job, 90,'" Kearse said. "I was like, 'I don't want to hear any good job, I want the ball.' But, I mean, things happen."

Andre Johnson said no one should have any questions about Schaub's toughness.

"I don't think he has to prove nothing to anybody," Johnson said. "Matt's a good quarterback, he just hasn't been healthy. We haven't been able to keep him healthy, and when he's healthy he goes out and plays well for us."



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