Schaub adopts role as preseason all-star

Ex-UVa QB Matt Schaub continues to learn in Atlanta as Michael Vick's backup.

By Mark Berman
The Roanoke Times 981-3125


FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- They are only exhibition games, what the NFL likes to call preseason games. But to Matt Schaub, they are the real thing.

The former Virginia standout is entering his second season as Michael Vick's top backup. That means plenty of action in exhibition games and, the Atlanta Falcons hope, plenty of standing around in the regular season.

"It's something I have to handle because I'm the backup quarterback here as long as Mike's healthy." Schaub said after practice this week. "I'm going to get a lot of reps in the preseason because it's the preseason. I look at it as regular games. I can't look at it as, 'Oh, it doesn't mean anything, it's a preseason game.' It means a lot to me.

"Anytime you line up against another team, you want to win."

Schaub also wants to start.

"I want to continue to show I can be a capable backup here and eventually be a starter in this league somewhere," said Schaub, a former ACC player of the year who was drafted in the third round in 2004. "A competitor wants to be the starter. I definitely look to do that. I just have to wait my turn. Do better every time I go out on the field, in preseason or in the regular season ... and people will notice me and hopefully down the road something will happen."

Schaub was named the most valuable player of the American Bowl in Tokyo on Aug. 6, when he completed 11 of 13 passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Indianapolis. He has more completions and attempts than Vick or No. 3 quarterback Ty Detmer this preseason but has completed only 22 of his 44 passes for 250 yards and two TDs with one interception.

Schaub, who completed 67 percent of his passes in his UVa career, said he still needs to get his timing and rhythm down this year. Falcons coach Jim Mora also sees room for improvement.

"What isn't left for him to work on?" Mora said, "If there was one thing ... it's probably getting experience. It's getting snaps in regular-season games where it's real, real competition. And we really don't want him to get those snaps."

So Schaub focuses on learning from practice and from studying the film of the preseason games. He is still working on "catching up with what the defensive looks are," but he does feel much more comfortable in the huddle than he did as a rookie last season.

"Things aren't swirling around, my mind isn't going a thousand miles per hour," Schaub, 24, said. "Command of the game situations is a little bit better, and the speed of the game has slowed down to where I can react and see things as they play out."

After beating out Detmer for the second-string job with his good exhibition outings last summer, Schaub played in six regular-season games. He completed only 33 of 70 passes for 330 yards and one touchdown with four interceptions.

"We're extremely happy with Matt," Mora said. "He's just a smart player, understands our system. The players have complete confidence in him. We feel like we can win if he's playing for us."

Schaub started in a November win at New Orleans because Vick was injured. He completed 17 of 41 passes with two interceptions. He passed for 188 yards, the second-highest total by a Falcons rookie quarterback in his starting debut. Schaub also got plenty of playing time in the regular-season finale, a loss at Seattle in which he was 14-of-22 for 132 yards and one TD with one interception.

Those two games provided great experience, Schaub said.

"To get back out there and get back into a groove and a rhythm and the game tempo was really good," he said. "To play against two teams that were still fighting for a playoff spot, it was good to go to their house and get their best shot."

Even though his long-term NFL future might not be in Atlanta, Schaub has put down roots. He bought a home in the area, and his parents moved to suburban Atlanta six years ago. He has friends from UVa who now live in the area.

In the locker room, though, he is surrounded by Hokies. Schaub not only has an ex-Hokie in front of him on the depth chart but behind him as well. NFL rookie Bryan Randall is the Falcons' No. 4 quarterback. The addition of Randall and free-agent guard Matt Lehr this year give the Falcons eight ex-Hokies, compared to two ex-Cavs, Schaub and defensive end Patrick Kerney.

"Tell me about it," Schaub said with a grin. "No, it's good to have guys that you've played against in college. ... It makes it more fun. It's good to have that rivalry and competition. It's all jokes now. It makes for fun meetings and good times.

"Bryan's a good guy and so is Mike, so we have a lot of fun together. They have the bragging rights now so I can't really say a whole lot, but we'll just see how it goes this year in that game."

In tonights game against the Jags he wasn't very impressive.
He doesn't have the ability to complete passes on the run,
which frakly with our O-line is about half the time. :lol: