Schaub ear loss vs. Denver wows coach

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DENVER, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub showed his toughness when he missed only one play after losing a piece of an ear, his coach says.

Schaub suffered the bloody injury Sunday when Broncos linebacker Joe Mays sacked him after the ball was thrown in the third quarter of the Texans' 31-25 win over the Denver Broncos, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Mays was penalized for a late hit, but the Texans' team doctor didn't see any signs that Schaub suffered a concussion. The quarterback left the game to deal with the bleeding ear, but came back after one play.

Texans Coach Gary Kubiak was impressed. "Boy, he played like a champ today," he said of Schaub, who ended the game with 290 yards passing, 17 of 30 passes completed, four touchdowns, one interception and a 115.3 passer rating.

"I felt fine," Schaub said after the game. "You know, I just lost a little piece of my ear."