Quiet Achiever: How Matt Schaub Has Kept Houston Alive

Silent but deadly.  Those three words have never proved truer for Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub who is looking to possibly boost his team into the playoffs this weekend with a win over New England.

Originally starting his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Schaub was one of the few players that had a 50/50 shot at making a proper career in the NFL.  After being signed to the Houston Texans in March of 2007, Schaub hasn't looked back.

Most NFL fans know the Texans are one of the very best young, up-and-coming teams in the NFL.  The franchise is celebrating its seventh birthday this year, and most players in its locker room could turn around and applaud Schaub for his hard work in making his team what it is today.

This is all well and good, but the more impressive stat is that Schaub has played every game this year, and has posted great stats in doing so.  He has thrown for 4,467 yards on the season along with 27 touchdown passes, which are great numbers from this three-year veteran of the Houston Texans.

Schaub's abilities have come a long way from what they used to be.  Looking up the teams with the best passing games in the NFL this season, you'd be surprised to see the Houston Texans ranked second behind none other than the Indianapolis Colts. 

As shaky and sluggish as the Texans have been at times, they have still done enough to maintain an 8-7 record, and can pray and hope everything goes their way next week in the AFC.

"It's a huge game for us and it's a chance for us to get to 9-7, which we haven't been able to do. Obviously there's a lot [riding] on the game. It's a playoff game in our mind, a must-win game to stay in the hunt," Schaub said in a press conference.

Superstar wide receiver Andre Johnson also commented on Schaub's high-caliber performance and said how glad he is that Schaub is among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL this year.

"He's taken a lot of criticism, but I think, this year, by what he's done, he's kind of shut some people up," Johnson said. "In this league, it's about being consistent. So, he has to come back and hopefully have a similar year like he had this year, and hopefully we can go out and win more games and he'll get the recognition he deserves."

For the Manning, Favre, and Brees fans out there who are questioning Schaub's true performance, keep in mind Schaub's previous seasons have been plagued with injuries, and to cap it all off, he has had to deal with numerous offensive line changes and tight end movements.

Along with other quarterbacks in the league such as Aaron Rodgers, Josh Freeman, and Matt Ryan, Schaub has proven that he deserves to be mentioned in the top younger generation of quarterbacks in the NFL.

Entering a new decade, there is no telling how far Schaub will go.  Super Bowl or bust?  Who knows.  His future, along with the Texans, looks promising though.