In a game where the Texans let opportunities slip away again and again, quarterback Matt Schaub had one final chance to make amends.
Schaub scrambled as the final seconds ticked off the clock with the Texans down five points. It appeared he had some daylight for a possible game-winning touchdown via the run. Instead he pulled up, and lofted an interception.
“Old boy choked,” Raiders defensive lineman Tommy Kelly said via the Houston Chronicle. “All he had to do was run it in. He choked, simple as that.”
We’re not so sure. Safety Tyvon Branch was starting to come after Schaub. (Watch the replay here.) It looked to us like Branch had a good chance to close on the quarterback before he reached the goal line.
“I’m not necessarily a guy that’s going to make a whole lot of guys miss in the open field,” Schaub said.
The better criticism for Schaub: He hasn’t been at his best in the red zone this year. Houston has five touchdowns in 18 red zone trips this year. Schaub also hasn’t played great in the fourth quarter of both Houston’s losses.
The Texans have a habit of dominating the first half of games, but not capitalizing on the scoreboard. That’s happened three straight weeks, and it came back to bite Houston a second time on Sunday.