By Morris Phillips

Before the 49ers could capture Sunday night’s meeting with the Texans, Matt Schaub threw it all away.

Schaub’s first pass of the night was intercepted by Tremaine Brock and returned for a 49ers’ touchdown just 90 seconds in and the 49ers went on to a romp in the 34-3 win over the Texans.

Thanks to Schaub’s missteps—the veteran Houston quarterback would go on to throw three interceptions and become the first signal caller in NFL history to throw a pick six in four consecutive games —the 49ers didn’t have to answer many of the questions facing a 2-2 football team that was supposed to be on its way to a second straight Super Bowl appearance but currently finds itself trying to stay above .500 in the NFC West.

Not that the 49ers didn’t conduct themselves like an upper echelon contender, but nothing plays better in an NFL postgame then a riches-to-rags fall from grace.  Could Schaub, Houston’s starter since 2007, be benched in favor of non-descript backup T.J. Yates?

“He’s played really good for this organization,” Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak said of Schaub.  “He’s helped this organization become a winner.  I have to evaluate what’s going on, what we’re doing, how we’re doing it.  That’s my responsibility.  I believe in him as a player.  He’s done it before, and I’ve seen guys work through stuff.  I’ve got to do everything I can to help him work through it.”

Schaub’s initial interception jumpstarted the 49ers who built a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised.  And while Schaub struggled, Colin Kaepernick cruised, completing just six passes on the evening, only two after the first quarter.  Kaepernick needed to show that he could complete passes downfield to beat the aggressive Texans’ defense, but Schaub’s play took all the pressure off the 49ers’ quarterback.  Still, five of Kaepernick’s six completions went for first downs, including the 64-yard laser shot to Vernon Davis that completed the evening’s scoring.

With the early lead and then later with the game no longer in doubt, the 49ers did just fine depending on the two healthiest areas of their team in the offensive line and at running back.  The 49ers rushed for 177 yards and career franchise leading rusher Frank Gore looked like his old self with 81 of those yards on 17 carries.

“I think two weeks in a row we’ve really been effective in the run game and I think everyone sees what it can do for our passing game,” fullback Bruce Miller said.  “Kaep played great, but being effective on the ground against a defense like we’ve played the past two weeks has really been encouraging.”

With the win, and the Seahawks loss in Indianapolis, the 49ers and Cardinals moved within a game of the NFC West leaders at 3-2.  After all the early tests, the 49ers’ schedule eases in the coming weeks with the Cardinals, Titans, Jaguars and Panthers up next.

The 49ers played for a second straight game without All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis and pass rusher Aldon Smith, away from the team due to his substance abuse issues.  Michael Wilhoite replaced Willis, and linebacker NaVorro Bowman and safety Eric Reid did all they could slow the Texans’ Arian Foster, who rushed for 98 yards, but made all 21 of his carries with his team trailing on the scoreboard.

On the initial score of the evening, Brock quickly disengaged from his outside coverage position and cut in front of Andre Johnson to create an easy, short jaunt into the end zone.  Brock’s big play looked like it had its’ origins in film study of Schaub.  Brock’s second pick of the evening—while covering the All-Pro Johnson—saw him tip the ball to himself before racing down the sideline for a short return.  Ironically, Brock hadn’t played much this season, but got his chance when third corner, Nnamdi Asumogha, couldn’t go due to a knee injury.

“I was just playing my technique of reading the quarterback and reading the receiver,” Brock said.  “It wasn’t about Matt Schaub because he’s a great quarterback, and you can’t really go off his last game.  So it really wasn’t about him, it was just about me playing the defense.”

The Texans fell for the third straight week after opening the season with two narrow, late victories.  Houston was a co-favorite with the Colts in the AFC South coming into the season but now they’re 2-3 with games against Denver, New England, 5-0 Kansas City and both meetings with the Colts still to come.

“Hopefully, it’s rock bottom tonight, but the bottom line is we turned the football over,” Kubiak said.  “The defense can’t keep holding up.  Put yourself in a hole, you got no chance of digging yourself out of a hole against a good football team.”

The 49ers host Arizona next week at 1:05pm.