Derek Carr Needs a Chance to Finish Matt Schaub

Aug 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub (8) throws during the second quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Is He Done?

Forget about Schaub’s stats, I’m talking about the MPH he’s lost on his fastball and velocity is important on out-routes and dig-routes. Passes that stay in the air too long in the NFL will get intercepted with all the speed on the field breaking on them. Even when he carved the Seattle Seahawks for 358 yards last year, it was one pass on an out-route that Richard Sherman took back to the house to send the game into overtime where the Seahawks won.

I think it has even affected the timing with the receivers because receivers run much faster in a game than in practice. On the firs play of the game, Schaub couldn’t connect on a go-route to receiver Andre Holmes because the ball was thrown short. It looked like Holmes was even and leavin’ but the pass ended up hitting the defensive back in the belly as he and Holmes tried to come back for the ball.

When asked about Schaub’s velocity in training camp on  Twitter,San Francisco Chronicle’s Vic  Tafur said, “Eh!” Out-routes are the No. 1 routes in the NFL that get taken back to the house so with Shaub unable  to throw them, that’s one thing the Raiders already can’t do. I sure hope that go-route was just one off throw because if not, that’s another route the Raiders have to stay away from with Schaub in the game and that’s a big concern.