What would happen if you tossed the keys to a new Ferrari 599 GTO to a graying, middle manager from Katy? Probably the same thing that occurs when Matt Schaub hands over the Houston Texans' high-powered offense to Matt Leinart.

Everyone's going to end up in a ditch.

Forget the worry over Arian Foster's hurting hamstring, the very real concern that the reigning NFL leading rusher will not be able to suit up for the Texans' season opener for a moment. Sure, at this point it'd be a surprise if Foster does play against the Indianapolis Colts. But the Texans have legitimate weapons behind Foster to carry the ball.

As much as Foster would be missed, there are a number of fans who'd be excited to see what second-year tailback Ben Tate would do with all those carries against Indy.

Imagine for a moment if Schaub gets injured though. No one's excited to see Matt Leinart. Not after how the Texans' freshly-christened $5.5 million backup quarterback played in this preseason.

If it's possible, Leinart looked even worse this summer than he did in getting booed out of Arizona as a Top 10 bust. Given a chance to make at least a mini statement in Minneapolis, Leinart appeared to play with the same urgency that Vincent Chase shows in a photo shoot.

He produced zero points playing the entire first half of a 28-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in the Texans' preseason finale Thursday night. While the L is completely inconsequential (you almost don't want to go 4-0 in the preseason), Leinart's inability to take the offense anywhere continues a larger, troubling pattern. Schaub produced 24 points in just four possessions against New Orleans in the second preseason game. The Texans managed only three more points the entire rest of the game. Schaub drove Houston to 17 points in the first half of the third preseason game. The offense scored six points in the entire second half.

Take Schaub out of the game and the Texans O goes from devastatingly good to frighteningly pathetic.

Knowing he's left himself with no other options, Kubiak did his best to defend his quarterback crush after the game. "I was very impressed with Matt Leinart," the coach said in his televised postgame news conference, even managing a straight face. "I thought he played very well. And that was important."

Men have been committed for less. Talk about a questionable grasp of reality.

Sure, Leinart's stat line looked fine, if impactless: 13-for-16 for 145 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. But he didn't take the Texans anywhere. And if you watched a few of those third down throws he sent sailing both high over and wide of receivers, you couldn't help but be reminded of the worst quarterbacks in Texans' history.

ESPN should use this Leinart tape as Exhibit A for why football does need its new quarterback rating.

Kubiak didn't coach like he holds a lot of confidence in the former USC Golden Boy. When Houston took over at its own 1-yard line on its first possession, the coach didn't give his prized reclamation project a chance to make something happen. No, Kubiak played for a punt, safe as could be.

At the end of the first half — the one time Leinart had a nice drive going — Kubiak didn't even give his quarterback the opportunity to take one shot at the end zone with 10 seconds left on the clock. Instead, he sent the field goal team right onto the field. The game couldn't have been more meaningless if it was played in someone's backyard between garden gnomes and still Houston's coach hesitated to allow Leinart much of a chance to make a play.

He coached like he was scared of a mistake from his quarterback. In a preseason game. It's hardly a comforting thought as the Texans head into an NFL season where starting quarterbacks are often still an injury-waiting-to-happen (no matter how much Roger Goodell changes the rules).

It's true that Leinart wasn't exactly playing with a cast of Pro Bowlers. But you'd still like to see a spark, one wow-did-you-see-that throw (one!), something.

Maybe it won't ever mean anything. Maybe Schaub will stay as healthy as he has the last two seasons, start every game.

Nothing happened in Minneapolis Thursday night to change my belief that the Texans should be the AFC South favorites. Bryant Johnson — the ex-Detroit Lion wideout signed just Monday — did enough to make the team, giving the Texans more veteran presence at the position. And well . . . that's about all that happened.

As Kubiak said, "Looking at the big picture, it's been a good training camp."

Blunder Free Zone

Kubiak largely coached a smart preseason game (with the exception of that FG decision) — a contrast to last Saturday when he kept calling play after play for his lifeline running back in a meaningless game, watching Foster get hurt on his ninth touch of the first quarter. Foster just wasn't in the building Thursday night (the Texans left him behind in Houston due to his injury). Kubiak made sure Tate never touched the ball in Minnesota either. Ditto for tailbacks Derrick Ward and an achy Steve Slaton, who may or may not make the team.

This was a Chris Ogbonnaya night. Sure, no coach plays his starters in the fourth preseason game. But going right to the fifth-string running back? Maybe Kubiak is learning something.

Schaub spent his night being the most encouraging teammate you could find — even as he watched Leinart run his offense into the ground. When Trindon Holliday — who the bored KTRK Channel 13 announcers took to calling "water bug" — made a nice catch and run on Leinart's touchdown-less, two-minute drive, Schaub ran over to help straighten the 5-foot-5 man's shoulder pads.

It was the most contact Schaub saw all night. As it should be.

For on this night in a dome, the Texans (who freaked out over a minor Twitter crisis with Foster's MRI-sharing this week) received a reminder of what a real crisis would be. Losing Schaub. For even a few games. Nothing else would derail the season with such force.

The most indispensable Texan? Leinart made where that designation belongs crystal clear.