Quote:
Originally Posted by papabear
There's only one change that this team can make that will come anywhere close to guaranteeing that we'll be in the playoff hunt. Cut down on turnovers. We're -12 and last in the league.
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I still think Schaub can be "the" guy, but if we have to get a new quarterback to stop turnovers then so be it.
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I was going to dispute this based on the notion that Sage was skewing our turnover data unduly, but, while Sage is a bit more loose with ball security (he's averaging roughly 3 Fumbles + INTs per game), Schaub's not looking that hot either (roughly 2 fumbles + INTs per game).
The fumbles are especially troubling - pro-rated they're close to Carr-levels when the golden boy was leading the league in fumbles back-to-back years. His INT rate (3.3%) during his time in Houston isn't awful (roughly around Eli Manning and Brett Favre's career levels) but it isn't impressive and really pales to most of the active successful West Coast QBs who tend to have rates in the low 2's (examples: Hasselbeck, Garcia). His yards per attempt rate the past two years has actually been among the best in the league so when he doesn't turn it over, Schaub can be pretty deadly (although this is also one of those categories where having Andre Johnson can come in quite handy) but that's not the issue.
I'm still not looking to replace Schaub; we've got far greater issues on defense that are going to demand our attention and resources. But ball security should be something a quarterback's developed more of by their 5th year in the league. I can live with the interception rate, although I certainly hope it improves, but I'm still disturbed at the fumble rate. Quarterbacks that fumble rarely learn to become non-fumblers - it's usually a career-long issue.
Alright, that was a fun statistical digression. Now time to get back to my never-ending classwork, which is thankfully math-free.