In 2013, Matt Schaub, well, imploded in a big way. Schaub became a pick-six machine with the Texans, which ultimately led to his benching. Now, with Schaub leaving for greener pastures, the obvious question becomes whether or not the Raiders can help turn Schaub’s career around.
Everyone’s first instinct should be that, no, the Raiders are where careers go to die, not where they go to be resurrected, but that would be jumping the gun in a parity driven league. The Raiders are in the middle of remaking themselves, and a legitimate quarterback would legitimize those efforts.
Schaub does have the potential to be that man. Schaub’s completion percentage has stayed north of 60% since 2005, and from 2008 through 2012, his passer rating was above 90. Sure, those numbers aren’t what we’d call “elite,” but they’re the types of numbers that would help push a middle-of-the-road team into the playoffs.
Matt Schaub will, obviously, have to work through losing his top target, Andre Johnson. A top receiver like Johnson makes the life of a quarterback a lot easier. Schaub benefitted from that arrangement during his time with Houston, but it’s tough to predict just how that loss will change the way Schaub functions with his new team.
The other issue, and probably the issue of greater magnitude, is whether Schaub can bounce back from his implosion of last season. There’s no question he lost virtually all confidence in himself before being benched. When he did get back on the field late in the season, Schaub’s numbers seem to indicate that he picked up right where he left off, and in this case, that’s not such a good thing.
In this respect, the Raiders are a golden opportunity for Schaub. They offer him a fresh start with a new team, new coaches and new players.
The Raiders will try to give Schaub support on offense through a ball control offense. If successful, Oakland will be able to run the ball effectively enough to open up the play-action pass, something Schaub did quite well with the Texans.
The Raiders ability to consistently run the ball will be determined by running back Darren McFadden’s ability to stay healthy. In six seasons in the league, McFadden has never played a full season, making us wonder why exactly the Raiders let Rashad Jennings walk away, especially considering that Jennings outplayed McFadden last season.
Basically, Oakland needs to ease Schaub into his role as the team’s most essential player. Without a quarterback, no team can function proficiently, and the Raiders are taking a big gamble putting Schaub in such an important role.
If Oakland can give him the support he needs, he certainly has the physical talent to successfully lead a team into the playoffs. He was able to do just that with the Texans, but it’s unclear whether or not he’ll be able to recover from his collapse last season. If he can, the Raiders may have found a bargain. If not, he’ll set Oakland back yet again.
