Texans QB Matt Schaub is not on the same level with Peyton Manning or Drew Brees, even though no quarterback has thrown for more touchdowns or yards this season than Schaub. Manning and Brees are leading undefeated teams, which is one of the many things that set them apart at this point.

Still, Schaub's a key piece of a team that could accomplish something Manning and Brees will never be able to say this year — winning with a team that wasn't supposed to. While the Colts and Saints have surpassed expectations by going undefeated through six games, anytime the Texans get above the .500 mark, it's cause for celebration.

It hasn't happened many times in Houston since the team entered the league in 2002.

Leading a pass-heavy offense, Schaub is apparently growing into a leadership role, and if he can finally stay healthy for a full season, which is something he hasn't done since joining the Texans in 2007, the sixth-year veteran could finally deliver on the promise he's shown in limited doses.

Schaub has put on an impressive display thus far, throwing for 16 TDs, compared to only five interceptions — he's also only fumbled once and it was recovered by the Texans — and with all of his final eight games in domes or the state of Florida, Schaub has a good chance to continue moving up the board in the second half of the season.

1. Colts QB Peyton Manning — Give the winless Rams some credit. They did what no other team proved capable of this season — holding Manning to less than 300 yards passing. He threw another three touchdowns, though, and is the league's highest-rated passer.

2. Saints QB Drew Brees — Playing against the team that decided it didn't want to aggressively pursue him when he was a free agent in 2006 — good call by them — Brees shook off an atrocious start and led New Orleans to one of the most impressive comebacks in recent memory. Brees threw three picks and lost a fumble, but his dive into the endzone at the end of the first half started the Saints' rally.

3. Vikings RB Adrian Peterson — It's too bad a Brett Favre interception stopped Peterson from having another chance to get the ball in his hands late in the Vikings' loss to the Steelers. He embarrassed William Gay, knocking him over with brute force late in the fourth quarter before Minnesota's comeback attempt was stopped.

4. Broncos OLB Elvis Dumervil — Got a well-earned break while the Broncos were on bye. Let's see if two weeks is enough time for the Ravens to figure out how to keep him away from Joe Flacco.

5. Chargers QB Philip Rivers — He might be in the conversation with Peyton Manning and Drew Brees if he had a better supporting cast and the Chargers were above .500. Rivers has a 7-0 TD-INT ratio in the last three games, but San Diego went 1-2 in that span.

6. Patriots QB Tom Brady — Going up against the Buccaneers' defense, which had allowed the third-most passing touchdowns in the league heading into Week Seven, it was fair to expect a big day from Brady. He threw for three TDs, which was just about right, but he was picked off twice, and one of them was in the endzone. Prior to those, he had gone 184 straight attempts without throwing a pick. He had a good performance in the Patriots' 35-7 win, but it wasn't quite the dominant, near-flawless Brady that was expected to show up.

7. Texans QB Matt Schaub — Schaub had to cringe when head coach Gary Kubiak delivered some concerning news about his top target. If WR Andre Johnson is hampered at all by that chest contusion, it should knock a surging Texans' offense down a peg.

8. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger — Pittsburgh has thrown 234 times, compared to 186 rushing attempts, which is a ratio of pass-to-run that seems out of whack for a Steelers team, but Big Ben handled the leading role when the ground game faltered last season just fine and he's doing so to an even greater extent in 2009. He didn't have his best performance of the year against a tough Vikings defense, but he didn't commit a turnover in a game that was decided by them.

9. Vikings QB Brett Favre — The grey gunslinger was held without a touchdown for the first time this season in Minnesota's loss to Pittsburgh and his two fourth-quarter turnovers were costly.

10. Giants QB Eli Manning — Manning would be off the Meter if he hadn't played so well against lesser competition in the first five weeks of the season. He has a 2-4 TD-INT ratio in the last two games — both Giants losses — and was picked off three times by the Cardinals on Sunday night in his poorest outing since the Giants' playoff loss to the Eagles last season. Not sure if his injured foot is becoming more of a problem or what, but he'll need to regroup in a hurry, as New York faces the Eagles, Chargers, Falcons and Broncos in its next four games.

Honorable mention: Bengals QB Carson Palmer, Falcons QB Matt Ryan, Ravens QB Joe Flacco, Saints FS Darren Sharper, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Vikings DE Jared Allen, Jets CB Darrelle Revis, Broncos QB Kyle Orton, Colts DE Dwight Freeney, Bengals RB Cedric Benson, 49ers ILB Patrick Willis, Steelers OLB James Harrison, Colts WR Reggie Wayne.