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Schaub era starts in Houston

Sep 15, 2007 - 12:44 PM Kansas City (9-7) at Houston (6-10) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

HOUSTON (Ticker) -- In years past, it would have been Trent Green against David Carr. Now, it's Matt Schaub taking on Damon Huard.

The Kansas City Chiefs open their second season under Herman Edwards when they visit the Houston Texans in a battle of teams debuting new starting quarterbacks.

The Chiefs named Huard, an 11-year veteran, their No. 1 quarterback in preseason. He received the nod over 24-year-old Brodie Croyle, who did not help his cause by throwing an interception in each of Kansas City's first three exhibition games - all losses.

Huard had not started since 2000 but guided the Chiefs to a 5-3 record last year after Green went down with a concussion in the season opener. Green, the Chiefs' starter since 2001, asked out of Kansas City when Huard re-signed in February and was traded to the Miami Dolphins.

Edwards made the decision to go with Huard after Croyle, a third-round pick out of Alabama in 2005, completed only 5-of-17 passes for 45 yards in a 30-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

Huard, who backed up two of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history - Dan Marino in Miami and Tom Brady in New England - was a pleasant surprise for the Chiefs last season. He helped keep the Chiefs in playoff contention, passing for 1,684 yards with 11 touchdowns and only one interception.

The Texans also will have a new look as Carr, the team's first draft pick in 2002, was released after five years in Houston. Enter Schaub, who was Michael Vick's back in Atlanta the past three seasons.

Houston signed Schaub to a six-year, $48 million contract but he is untested, having started only two games in his career.

Carr enjoyed minimal success in Houston, passing for 59 touchdowns and just over 13,000 yards. That did not translate to many wins for the Texans, who averaged just under five victories per season during Carr's tenure.

The other major addition for the Texans was running back Ahman Green, who spent the past seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Houston is hoping Green can regain his form from 2003, when he rushed for a career-high 1,883 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. But at 30 years old, Green could be a gamble. He missed two games last season with a knee injury.