Houston Texans Down to Third String QB

There's never a good time for an NFL team to lose its starting and backup quarterbacks, especially if the team is having its best season ever, and even has a good chance of making it into the playoffs.

But that's what has happened to the Houston Texans, whose season fortunes are now in the hands of their rookie third string QB.

Two weeks ago, the Texans went into their bye week knowing starter Matt Schaub was out for the season with a foot injury. They had two weeks to get backup Matt Leinert ready for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Leinert was doing fine and putting points on the board until he went down with a broken collar bone.

Rookie QB T. J. Yates went in, and while the Texan offense did almost nothing for the rest of the game, their tough defense saved the day and Houston won 20 to 13.

Bottom line:  Houston needs an experienced QB, and fast.

Texans general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak appear confident that Yates, a rookie fifth-round draft pick, can handle the starting job against Atlanta next week.

Going forward though, the Texans, have to determine what to do if Yates struggles or gets injured.  They've signed Kellen Clemens, who has a good working knowledge of the Texans’ offense since he spent the preseason with the Redskins under former Texans coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

But there is one big factor to consider in whether Clemens should be given the No. 2 spot behind Yates.  He isn’t that good. A second-round pick by the Jets in 2007, he has never proved that he can play at a high level.

via Ultimate Texans » Solomon: Texans must prove their mettle once again.

This wouldn't be so hard to bear if the Texans weren't 8 and 3 and a sure bet to make the playoffs.  Can they make it with a rookie QB calling the signals?  And an unproven QB backing him up?  We'll see, and it may not be pretty to watch.