Things are ugly in Houston. If their losing streak was not already bad enough, the fact that they got beat big by the St. Louis Rams is not helping. Many fans have been unhappy with the play of veteran quarterback Matt Schaub, despite the confidence head coach Gary Kubiak continues to show him. Things all came to a head on Sunday after Schaub left with an ugly ankle injury and fans cheered.
Schaub has not exactly been in the good-graces of Texans fans lately. He is currently competing with Eli Manning for the most interceptions in the league, a stat no fan wants their team mentioned in. Things got worse in the third quarter of Sunday's game when Schaub was forced to leave with a knee injury. Fans cheered as he left and backup TJ Yates entered. Wide receiver Andre Johnson said it was simply a sign of no class.
"It's bad when members of the other team are saying that's messed up that they would do something like that," Johnson said, via ESPN.com. "It just shows no class. It wasn't all the fans. But those are the same people that you're out somewhere with your family and you tell them they can't have an autograph right now, those are the same people that tell you you're rude. You don't cheer about nobody being injured -- I don't care who it is. Guys lay their bodies on the line out there on that field. Some guys get injuries, and it affects them their whole lives. To cheer about something like that, it just shows they have no class."
Linebacker Brian Cushing echoed those statements, calling fans "barbaric" for their reaction to an injured player.Yates stepped in to finish the drive Schaub left on. He threw the fifth consecutive pick-six by a Texans quarterback in five games. Alec Ogletree returned the interception for 98 yards.
Schaub's status has already been in doubt after he continues to be prone to interceptions. Kubiak has stood by him through the low season, but will now likely be forced to do some re-evaluating. However, Yates has yet to prove he is a worthy replacement.
The veteran will undergo tests on his ankle this week. Kubiak said he injured in a little bit of everything on his right leg and the team training staff would have to take a look at things.The Texans will face the undefeated Chiefs next Sunday.