Sports

J.J. Watt will be the Texans MVP because in order to become a transcendent team, you need a transcendent player.

Regardless of position Watt is the most elite player in Texans history and will carry the Texans to their greatest season ever.

He's better as a 3-4 end than Jonathan Joseph at his position and even Andre Johnson at his.

I'm going with Matt Schaub as the MVP of the Texans this season. Here's why. The Texans have Super Bowl aspirations this year, and that's not an overstatement. After last season, we all saw what this team could do with the usual suspects - Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and the entire Texan defense - playing at a high level. That's in spite of the Texans starting quarterback when he isn't throwing three picks on 17-35 passing in a game the Texans should've won last January 15 in a 20-13 loss to Baltimore. Of course that was then-rookie, third-string quarterback-heading-into-the-season TJ Yates piloting the ship that day in BMore, while Schaub, who's got 30 million reasons to be this season's MVP, was laid up with a bad wheel watching the game in civilian attire.

Thus the rub.

Schaub has something to prove. And I'm a big fan of 'something-to-prove' guy. Do I think the Texans were premature in extending Schaub's contract? I do. Does Rick Smith care what I think? No. But pride is a mother, and while 30 million dollars will help Matt and his family sleep better at night, it's not going to alleviate the pressure that most in this town don't think he's a big time quarterback, he has a weak arm and in the grand scheme of things, he's never won a big game. In fact, the aforementioned TJ Yates is the only quarterback on the roster with a playoff win under his belt as a starting quarterback. Ouch.

If this team is going to go to the Super Bowl, and I have the Texans as the AFC representative in this year's Super Bowl, which will be played just down I-10 eastbound in New Orleans, it's going to be because of Schaub. We know what the other guys can do. Schaub? We'll see.

Arian Foster.

Foster isn't just team MVP material, he's NFL MVP material. He caught everyone by surprise with his astonishing breakthrough season in 2010 (NFL rushing champ, league leader in rushing touchdowns and 604 yards receiving) and might have been better last year had he not missed 3 starts due to injury. In two playoff games, he further enhanced his status as an elite player by gaining 336 yards from scrimmage and scoring 3 touchdowns. He runs with speed, physicality and elusiveness. He also excels as a receiver, both in terms of route-running and surehandedness. He also brings toughness and smarts as a pass protector. He's the total package. Firmly entrenched in any discussion about the best runningback in the NFL today.