Houston Texans QB Matt Schaub out at least a month

November 3, 2008 @ 00:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Tim Heaney

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (knee) has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will likely miss at least one month if the team does not decide to put him on the Injured Reserve.

Quarterback Sage Rosenfels will take over as the Texans' starting signal caller.

Schaub underwent an MRI Monday, Nov. 3, that confirmed the severity of the injury. He suffered the injury on a hit by Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen in Week 9. He didn't play in the second half of the game.

After a rocky start (390 passing yards, one touchdown, five interceptions over his first two games), Schaub has provided the Texans with solid quarterback play since Week 4. He averaged 308.2 passing yards, 2.3 touchdowns and 0.5 interceptions per game in four contests from Week 4 to Week 8. A highly accurate passer, Schaub has completed 67.8 percent of his passes this year, which includes three games with a completion percentage of at least 75.8.

Rosenfels has replaced Schaub once already this season; he subbed for an ill Schaub in Week 5. The team would have won that game if not for a pair of late turnovers by Rosenfels that allowed the Colts to come back from a 27-10 fourth quarter deficit. Rosenfels finished the game completing 21 of his 33 passes (63.6 percent) for 246 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Replacing Schaub in Week 9, Rosenfels completed 21 of his 29 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Bear in mind those stats came in one half with the Texans down 21-7 to the Minnesota Vikings.

From a fantasy perspective, the loss of Schaub will put a decent dent in any fantasy lineup. For now, fantasy owners should keep him on a bench spot, but be prepared to drop him if the team places him on Injured Reserve. Also, the three teams he will face if he returns in a month all sport solid secondaries, which could make it tough for him when he returns. His best remaining matchup could be in Week 17 against the Chicago Bears, when most fantasy seasons could be finished.

As for Rosenfels, owners should make a move to acquire the veteran quarterback, especially if they need depth at the position. He put up decent numbers in extended time last year (1,684 yards, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions in nine appearances), showing he can be a decent matchup play in Houston's system. He has ample receiving weapons in running back Steve Slaton, wideouts Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter, and tight end Owen Daniels, but beware that Rosenfels turns the ball over frequently; however, owners that start Schaub have already accepted that reality.

In the next four weeks, Rosenfels' best matchups could be against the Baltimore Ravens (Week 10) and the Cleveland Browns (Week 12), though their Week 11 matchup with the Colts could be productive, as well, despite the return of safety Bob Sanders.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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