It's become sort of a running joke between Texans fans that Matt Schaub is good for one absolutely baffling throw to Andre Johnson a game. The kind of throw that just makes you shake your head and wonder how he thought Johnson could possibly get it.
↵Well, with Andre Johnson sidelined this week, Schaub didn't force it to him. The result was that the Texans had their first turnover free game since Week Eleven of 2009. Schaub was noticeably cautious on play-action, dumping off, checking down, and throwing balls away. It's never easy to win in the NFL when you're missing your premiere playmaker in Johnson, your starting left tackle, and your reigning Defensive Rookie Of The Year, but one of the main reasons the Texans were able to pull it off was the +3 turnover margin they enjoyed by Schaub's measured play and the insertion of Troy Nolan into the secondary. Turns out having a safety that can actually catch balls helps. Go figure.
↵Of course, that's not to say that the Texans were better off without Johnson or without attacking down the field. In fact, the last game where the Texans offense had no turnovers, they actually lost to Tennessee 20-17. That's partially because Kris Brown missed two field goals, of course, but it shows theres a fine line between taking what's given and attacking the defense. It also shows that having an offense that can rush for 249 yards helps out a bit when you're trying to win a game.
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