Case Keenum 'couldn't play any harder,' McNair says

The man at the top thinks Case Keenum's got it going on.

Texans owner Bob McNair wasn't thrilled with Houston's 17-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs -- or the team's ugly 2-5 start -- but he drew hope from the play of Matt Schaub's rookie fill-in under center.

"You couldn't play any harder," McNair said, per Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. "In spite of and , we had a chance to win right until the end. You couldn't ask for any better effort out of our players. I was really proud of them.

"I'm discouraged we lost. We played extremely hard against a good club. Give them credit. If we keep playing the way we'd played today, we'll win a lot of games."

Keenum -- playing in one of the league's toughest venues -- displayed a quick release and playmaking ability. Texans quarterbacks coach Karl Dorrell told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport before Sunday that Keenum could capture the starting gig for the future with a solid outing against Kansas City. That box has been checked, leaving coach Gary Kubiak with a major decision as Houston enters its bye week.

This team has nothing to lose. It's increasingly unlikely Schaub is part of the plan next season, and the Texans have an opportunity to assess what's left at the position. Sticking with Keenum makes the most sense.

The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped every Week 7 game.