QB No. 17: Matt Schaub

This one may shock some people considering Jaws put this man at QB No. 9 on his quarterbacks list. But Matt Schaub appears at number 17 on my list. I was baffled, stunned, and a little outraged when I saw Schaub's placement on Jaws' list. I'm sorry, I don't get it.

Let's start with the positives. The Houston Texans were a perfect spot for Matt Schaub to land a starting QB job. The team has now built up an elite running game, led by the steady Arian Foster, and a strong defense. The Texans focus is on the ground game, and their passing game consists mainly of play-action passing. Schaub fits this system well. He's not a high-turnover QB, he executes play-action effectively, and he's a great front-running quarterback. That is, when he has the lead, he'll                                                                                       do well to protect it and close out the win.

But here's my main issue with Schaub. I think his success is directly tied to the supporting cast around him. In other words, I think people (Jaws) give too much credit to Schaub, when in fact the running game and defense have more to do with Texans victories than Schaub. There was a reason Schaub was a backup quarterback for several years. He's just a game manager.

Let's analyze this a little more closely. I went back and studied games in which the Texans were involved in close wins and losses. Nine such games existed in 2012. First, let's frame this by saying most people believe that Schaub is a pretty accurate QB. His 64% completion rate last year suggests as much. But in those nine games, games where the running game and defense didn't carry the Texans to a win, Schaub's completion rate fluctuated. In those nine games, Schaub had a 59% completion rate with 12 TD and 12 INT. My point is that these are the games where the QB needs to step up his play, yet Schaub could not. Elite quarterbacks are able to carry their teams when necessary, whereas game managers aren't capable of that. Additionally, Schaub's performances in the postseason this past year are simply average. He "managed" the Texans to a low-scoring playoff win against the Bengals, but couldn't keep up with the fast-paced offense of the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round.

Matt Schaub is definitely a quality starting quarterback in the NFL. Put him in the right situation, like the one he is in now, and he can succeed. But the problem is, if you're truly a good quarterback, you can succeed in any situation. And I don't believe that is the case with Matt Schaub.

Projections: 4,200 yards, 25 TD, and 11 INT