Matt Schaub: 3 Reasons Houston Texans QB Will Be One of This Year's Elite - Bleacher Report

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In almost every statistical category, the Texans were a top-five defense in 2011.

Prior to last season, the defense had been the resistance that held Houston back from being a playoff team.

However, the Texans addressed their deficiencies on defense via free agency and a brilliant 2011 draft and earned their first playoff berth in team history.

The Texans' two vital additions for the 2011 season, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and cornerback Johnathan Joseph, were instrumental in Houston's meteoric rise to the top tier of NFL defenses.

Joseph was selected to the Pro Bowl in his first season as a Texan, and Phillips oversaw the defense that rose from fourth-worst in 2010 to fourth-best in 2011.

Joseph and Phillips, along with first-round stud J.J. Watt and second-rounder Brooks Reed, played a key role in compensating for the loss of perhaps Houston's best defensive player, Mario Williams, who suffered a season-ending pectoral injury.

Houston's stingy defense will likely keep them competitive in every game this season. If opposing offenses are only able to produce about 17 points per game, as was the case last year, then far less pressure will fall on the right arm of quarterback Matt Schaub.

Because wins are the most important statistic among quarterbacks, Houston's defense will have a direct effect on Schaub being considered an elite player. The fewer points Houston allows, the more games the Texans will win. The more games the Texans win, the higher Schaub's stock continues to rise.

Although 49ers QB Alex Smith mustered up a modest 3,144 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, San Francisco went 14-2 in the regular season, and thus, left many football fans scratching their heads and saying, "Maybe this guy is pretty good."

However, for Schaub, a successful 2012 season will only enhance his already positive reputation among most NFL enthusiasts. Prior to last year, Schaub posted consecutive seasons of at least 4,300 yards and 24 touchdowns.

When Schaub was putting up gaudy numbers, the Texans defense was a glaring problem. Last year, when Houston's defense held the team together, the Texans were without their quarterback.

Headed into 2012 with a confident defense and a healthy quarterback, the rest of the AFC could be in a Texas-sized load of trouble.