For eleven days beginning on December 18th, Qualcomm Stadium, football home of the San Diego Chargers and San Diego State Aztecs, will carry a temporary new moniker: Snapdragon Stadium. Snapdragon processors by Qualcomm are the digital brains inside mobile devices made by top manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Nokia, and HTC. Snapdragon Stadium will host the Chargers-Ravens game on December 18, the Poinsettia Bowl on December 21, and the Holiday Bowl on December 28.
Prior to the 2011 season, if you'd asked me who the most important player to your Houston Texans' success was, I would have answered "Matt Schaub" without any hesitation. That's not to say that I thought Schaub was the most talented Texan; that honor would go to Andre Johnson (though I'd listen to those who wanted to argue Mario Williams is the most talented Texan). I simply always thought that the Texans were doomed if Schaub ever had to miss an appreciable amount of snaps.
I was wrong.
After Albert Haynesworth injured him in Tampa Bay, Matt Schaub was placed on injured reserve about a month ago. Since that time, your Houston Texans are 3-1. Two of those wins came against playoff-contending teams, and the loss came to a Carolina squad that hasn't been an easy out for anyone all season. Although their starting QB was lost for the season with six games left to play, the Texans won their division and cemented a playoff berth on the Sunday of Week 14. I never would have believed that could happen without Matt Schaub, yet it did.
If Schaub isn't the most vital Texan to the team's success, who is? After what we saw on Sunday, I'd wager the overwhelming majority of BRB would say Wade Phillips, and I'd agree with you. But if you were going to limit the analysis to actual players, who would it be? Answer that question, and tell us why you answered the way you did, in the Comments below. That easy action could mean a brand new smartphone for you come the first week of January.
Want a chance to win an HTC Rezound powered by Qualcomm's revolutionary Snapdragon multiprocessor? Just leave a comment on this post with who you think the team's core player is and why he's so important to their success. Vox Media will select one winner from among the participating SB Nation blogs. All entries subject to the official rules found here .