Case Keenum remains in limbo: UH star gets little chance to star as John Beckracks up gaudy stats

A big chance? Only, if you'd consider a five-minute speed dating round a big chance.

That is about how much of an opportunity Case Keenum ends up getting in his first extended playing time of the NFL preseason. Quick! Show me what you've got! While running out the clock.

Circumstances and coaching decisions left the former University of Houston star fighting for his professional career with the hometown Houston Texans with little chance to wow. Texans coach Gary Kubiak either likes what he's seen of Keenum enough in training camp to keep the NCAA's all-time passing leader on the practice squad or he doesn't.

Thursday night at Reliant Stadium isn't likely to be the deciding factor.

Not with Keenum only throwing 10 passes (completing five for a mere 43 yards) in the Texans' 28-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Of course with word later coming out that a fan had fallen to his death during the game, Keenum's quest suddenly seemed a lot less meaningful. Even from a football standpoint, Rashad Butler — who just lost the starting right tackle job to Derek Newton — going out for the season with a torn triceps looms as more significant than Keenum.

Keenum's most significant throw? Perhaps, an overthrow.

For there is the quarterback-short (6-foot) man who isn't supposed to have a strong arm sending a pass screaming over rookie DeVier Posey in the fourth quarter. Posey already showed his speed with an 80-yard catch-and-fly touchdown in the second quarter.

Sure, it's not much. But not much is about what Keenum has.

NFL veteran John Beck — Keenum's competition for the third-string quarterback job — gets the start, gets to play with the better players and winds up racking up a nifty 137.5 quarterback rating. Completing 6 of 10 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown can do that for you.

Even if Posey and likely third-string tailback lock Justin Forsett (13 carries for a Texans' preseason record 114 yards and two touchdowns) doing most of the heavy lifting, Beck looks more than competent.

"I was very impressed," Kubiak says of Beck. "I've been impressed with how he's played in the preseason. He played well against Carolina. He went out there tonight and played well.

"Could have had two touchdown passes."

Keenum does not make any big mistakes. But he doesn't cause the crowd — many of which came here just to watch him — to erupt like it hopes to either.

At least, not after Keenum jogs out for the Texans' first offensive play of the third quarter.

"I thought we didn't maybe protect him as well as we protected Beck," Kubiak says. ". . . His first play to start the half, I thought he made a great play, just missed the throw.

"But he continues to show us some good stuff."

Keenum v. Beck is likely going to come down to other roster decisions now. Does Kubiak have enough spots on the 53-man roster to keep a third quarterback, which would likely be Beck? Or does he only go with two quarterbacks on the 53 and put Keenum on the practice squad?

On this night, Kubiak sounds like a Beck believer.

"He stepped to the plate and did a hell of a job," Kubiak says.

Everyone will find out how good by Friday night when the final rosters are due.

The UH Stakes

Keenum's fate does not figure to have much impact on the Texans' season of Super-sized expectations. It's hard to imagine Houston losing its first and second-string quarterbacks in back-to-back seasons.

But that doesn't make it any less important to the rabid University of Houston fans who are in many ways still living and dying with every pass from No. 7. The crowd at the 6 p.m. kickoff is sparse — as sparse as a fourth preseason game on the eve of Labor Day weekend should be — but among the fans here, there is plenty of Cougar red.

In many ways, it's UH night at Reliant Stadium.

Only Beck gets the stage first.

Beck leads a crisp, six-play, 83-yard touchdown drive on his first series, even if Forsett does much of the work with a 52-yard burst on the second offensive play of the game. In a game where keeping the clock running as much as possible fits into any coach's strategy, quarterbacks cannot expect to be completely highlighted.

Like in most cases when you're a third or fourth-string quarterback, you take what you can get. And say please and thank you for it.

What Beck gets is several drops — most glaringly, a long pass on the sideline slipping right through rookie receiver Keshawn Martin's hands.

But then there's Posey — the rookie out of Ohio State who's been virtually invisible for most of training camp and the preseason — catching a short slant from Beck, bouncing off two tackles and going 80 yards for a touchdown.

Texans 14, Vikings 3. Suddenly, Beck's been at the helm for two touchdown drives.

The Texans premier players spend the game on the sidelines in matching white baseball caps. There is no use in getting anyone hurt in the most meaningless of all these meaningless exhibitions. You don't have to be Arian Foster to get a pass. Guys like Garrett Graham, Tim Jamison and Kareem Jackson are not playing either.

The NFL doesn't get any more relaxed than nights like this.

Unless you're fighting for your career. Unless you're a Case Keenum.