Baltimore Ravens: Why They Should Bench Matt Schaub for Jimmy Clausen

Matt Schaub continues to turn the ball over for the Baltimore Ravens so why not give Jimmy Clausen an opportunity to start?

The Baltimore Ravens loss to the Miami Dolphins was a microcosm of this season. Horrible officiating cost them a touchdown. Justin Tucker continues to struggle from over 50 yards. What is the most concerning is the amount of untimely turnovers that have plagued this team.

Matt Schaub threw another two interceptions this week. The all too familiar pick-six that has haunted him over the past few seasons happened once again. Add injury to the equation and you wonder how many NFL games are left in his career.

Late in the contest against Miami, Schaub was seen wincing in pain from an apparent shoulder injury. He came out for the Ravens final series, but did not look healthy enough to make some throws. He also took a pretty good hit and appeared to be holding his head, but never was taken out of the game to check for a possible concussion. The NFL has said that they will look into the Ravens handling of the situation, but if the St. Louis Rams didn’t suffer any consequences for Case Keenum not coming off the field, the Ravens better not either.

Schaub has been the quarterback for a win and a loss, but he should not be credited with the win against the Browns. Will Hill saved the day for Schaub, who threw an interception to put the Browns in position to kick the game-winning field goal that was ultimately blocked and returned for a touchdown.

It is clear that the problems that have plagued Schaub in recent years are still an issue. So why stick by him if the struggles are still there?

If you’re a regular reader, you know how I clamored for the Ravens to sign Jimmy Clausen once he was released by the Chicago Bears. Now I say give Jimmy Clausen an opportunity to play and show the team what he has to offer.

Clausen was given an opportunity to start on a consistent basis just once in his NFL career and that was his rookie season with the Carolina Panthers. He did not play too well in his rookie year and the Panthers finished with the worst record in the NFL that season. That is expected from rookie quarterbacks to struggle that first year in the league.

That offseason the Panthers were able to draft Cam Newton with the first overall pick and the rest is history. It’s looking like a strong possibility – he has my vote – that Newton will be named MVP this season. That left Clausen on the bench for the rest of his time in Carolina.

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Since that rookie season, Clausen has appeared in just six games with only two starts. He has not won a game since his rookie season, but also has not gotten a chance to showcase any progression since that year because of a lack of playing time. He made a start earlier in the season with the Bears, but they were asking Clausen to go into Seattle and get a win, a task even some of the NFL’s best have failed to accomplish.

The Ravens know what they have with Schaub. He is a turnover machine. He lacks mobility and that makes him a sitting duck for pass rushers. A 34-year-old quarterback that is likely to have played his last season in the NFL. If not, it’s definitely his first and only season with Baltimore.

Clausen provides more upside than Schaub. He knows Marc Trestman’s system already because of their time together in Chicago and with added reps could stabilize the backup position. He’s only 28 and could play in place of Joe Flacco if he is not ready for the start of next season.

He almost made an appearance on the final drive of the game on Sunday when many were unsure whether Schaub would return. He has only been with the team for a few weeks so he surely doesn’t have the entire playbook down 100 percent yet. That is being ticky-tacky, however, as he starts for Trestman last season. He could play this Sunday if given a full week of preparation.

The loss yesterday has put any playoff hopes to rest. The Ravens are playing for very little in the final four games of this disastrous season. It’s about pride and developing players the rest of the way for John Harbaugh and his staff.

There is really nothing to lose by making the switch at quarterback. Clausen never been put into position for success, and asking him to make another start against the Seahawks might not end well. In the end, he has a better arm and upside than Schaub. He still has a few years left in his NFL career. He still has some mobility in his legs.

Next: Ravens Lose Another Lose Game vs. Dolphins

We have seen enough of Schaub that let us know he has little left in the tank. We do not need to see him throw another pick-six to show us that.

So again, why not give Clausen a shot?

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