Matt Schaub Injury: Why Loss of QB Will Save Gary Kubiak's Job

Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak received some good news today.

Wait, what? How could he receive good news on the same day that his starting quarterback Matt Schaub may be out for the season with a Lisfranc injury in his foot?

Because he just got a free pass to coach the Texans for another season.

However this season pans out with backup Matt Leinhart under center, fans and management alike can’t blame the head coach. I say this under the assumption that his team doesn’t completely fall apart and go from 7-3 to 7-9.

They won’t.

After the bye week, they still have games against the Jaguars, Panthers and Colts. Considering how soft the AFC South is this season, just winning two of those games to reach nine should be enough to make the postseason.

With the third ranked running attack in the NFL, they can mimic the Broncos offense and hand the ball off 80 percent of the time. They also have a defense that is ranked second against the pass and fifth against the run. In other words, they are a complete team and don’t rely on Schaub to win ball games.

But back to Kubiak.

He has never guided the Texans to the playoffs in his six years at the helm. Considering the franchise has been shutout from the postseason every season since its inception in 2002, a playoff berth would provide mucho job security.

A contract extension would likely proceed, even if they were blown away in the Wild Card Round on their home field. Blame Leinhart.

If Schaub is truly lost for the season, all the pressure is off in Houston. Every loss wouldn’t bring second-guessing to Kubiak, it would be a bunch of “what ifs."

If Schaub were to return and the Texans get blown out, Kubiak's job security would be in much worse shape.

Even if the Texans fall off the face off the earth and somehow lose out to the Titans in the AFC South with Leinhart, Kubiak has the Schaub excuse.

It’s a horrible blow to the Texans in their best season since inception, but at least the coach has justification to stick around Reliant Stadium in 2012.