Oakland Raiders: Three Games That Could End Matt Schaub Experience
By Erik Lambert
Jan 13, 2013; Foxboro, MA, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) runs past New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork (75) during the second half of the AFC divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots won 41-28. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Matt Schaub is staring down the barrel at life on the bench for the Oakland Raiders if he can’t produce. Which schedule games could be his undoing?
Week 2 – vs. Houston Texans – Say hello to J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney
How poetic it would be. Essentially the team that gave Schaub his chance to start in the NFL comes full circle and ends his last shot. Indeed the Houston Texans present a formidable obstacle, and it begins and ends with their massively talented pass rush headed by star defensive end J.J. Watt and #1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Like any quarterback, Schaub begins to make mistakes when he’s under pressure. The difference he doesn’t have the leash to make those mistakes. If the Texas tandem beats on him enough, he will force some bad passes.
Week 3 – at. New England Patriots – Bill Belichick the career killer
No coach in the league, past or present is a greater master at game planning than Bill Belichick. He relentlessly searches for a weakness in an opponent and when he finds it, will do anything necessary to exploit it. So it is safe to say his New England Patriots, who are tough at home anyway, will pull out all the stops to harass Schaub. They have a good pass rush with Chandler Jones but also a beefed up secondary featuring Darrelle Revis. Throwing against them could be a misadventure if a quarterback isn’t prepared, and Schaub doesn’t have the greatest history for this. In fact, he has thrown an interception in every game he has played against Belichick.
Week 9 – at Seattle Seahawks – The Legion of Boom cometh
If he manages to survive those early tests, the game that will do Schaub in, if any will in 2014 is when he and the Raiders have to make the dreaded trek north to face the world champion Seattle Seahawks. Never mind that any team visiting CenturyLink Field typically struggled, but Schaub will be going against the best defense in the NFL in the loudest stadium in the NFL. Can his receivers really hope to have success against Richard Sherma, Earl Thomas and that secondary? The odds are not their side and odds say week 10 is the likeliest time Oakland fans will get their first glimpse of Derek Carr.