After Matt Schaub burned the Houston Texans on Sunday, fans in the Reliant Stadium parking lot returned the favor in kind. It was awkward.
The scene accurately represented one of the toughest afternoon's in the franchise's 12-year history. Schaub's pick six late in the fourth quarter helped seal Houston's doom in a dreadful 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Now the questions begin. Is Schaub still the long-term future for the Texans? Is he even the short-term future? The stage is yours, Gary Kubiak.
"He's our quarterback," the coach told reporters on Monday, via ESPN.com. "I believe in him. He's a strong kid, but it's going to be a tough week."
Kubiak said he had a long conversation with Schaub after the game. The coach said they discussed how to bounce back and also handle the inevitable tidal wave of criticism to come.
"The biggest thing is you know what he's going through," Kubiak said, via the Houston Chronicle. "You try to talk him through it while it's fresh."
"I don't see a lack of confidence," Kubiak added. "Poor decision-making, some he had to handle and some we can help him with."
Schaub has no more guaranteed money coming his way after 2013, so it's fair to ponder whether he has a future in Houston. But in the here and now, Schaub is entrenched. He'll be the Texans' quarterback in good times and bad.
It can't get much worse than Sunday.
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