Houston Texans: 5 questions to answer in Preseason Week 2

2. Can Joe Webb overtake the top backup QB role?

Let’s face it, the NFL is a next-man-up type of business and league, and the longer backup quarterback A.J. McCarron is sitting out with his thumb injury, the more chances that allows Joe Webb to make a name for himself in front of the coaching staff of the Texans.

Webb played the entire preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, and considering he didn’t have Will Fuller or DeAndre Hopkins to throw the football to, the third-string Webb didn’t look all that bad.

In the four quarters he played, Webb finished with the stat line of 25-of-40 for 286 yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions. He averaged 7.1 yards per completion and was sacked twice. Webb also completed 62.5-percent of his passes. The quarterback also rushed the ball six times for 47 yards (7.8 yards per carry) and had no fumbles.

The injury for McCarron is awful for him and the Texans for their current quarterback depth and getting McCarron accustomed to the offense in game situations. As bad as that is for McCarron, Webb needs to take full advantage of each pass and each run he takes against Detroit because it could go a very long way when it comes decision time for the folks in charge of the Houston roster.