Matt Schaub is not exactly beloved in these parts.

The strongest phrase of affection he elicits from most Houstonians is "I sort of like him, I guess," which says a lot about a quarterback in his seventh season with a franchise.

I'm in the group that says he is underappreciated, but our numbers are few and dwindling. Were he to run for office, we couldn't get him elected.

This past Sunday, Schaub gave his detractors plenty of material to work with. He looked out of sorts for much of the afternoon as the Texans meekly succumbed to the Baltimore Ravens 30-9.

Since Schaub has not built up a passionate base of supporters over the years, he nets little sympathy even though the offensive line was terrible, his best receiver was hobbled, the game plan was faulty, and the play-calling was shaky.

The next two weeks mark an important time in Schaub's tenure with the Texans. A couple more Baltimore-like performances, and he might not be able to recover.

There comes a time in a quarterback's career that is a point of no return, where the only thing left is a Super Bowl run or an exit strategy. Schaub is almost there.

It will be interesting to see how Schaub performs against the Seahawks, who have the NFL's best defense, and the 49ers, who played in the Super Bowl last season.

There are worse times to have a couple of subpar games. Schaub did that last season in a marquee matchup at New England on "Monday Night Football" and again against Minnesota when the Texans were trying to clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Wilson, Kaepernick next

Coming up, the Texans will face two of the NFL's most dynamic young quarterbacks - Seattle's Russell Wilson and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick - when atmospheric pressure is ripe for a serious outbreak of QBE.

Not familiar with QBE? I'm not surprised. There is no mention of Quarterback Envy on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has never issued a warning about the condition. Yet every year, thousands of NFL fans, Texans and Houstonians suffer from this incurable disease.

It has been spreading at an alarming rate in Houston of late.

When you watch Texans games, do you feel as if your temperature rises half a degree with each Schaub check-down, failure to evade the rush and interception?

Do you feel nauseous when you think of how lucky other fans are to have Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Drew Brees at quarterback and how unlucky you are to have Matt Schaub?

If you answered yes to either question, you almost certainly have a mild case of QBE. Beware, though. Left untreated, QBE can lead to insanity.

Researchers have identified a particularly nasty strain that features Tourette's-like exclamations of "Keenum!" I'm told that's a worst-Case scenario.

Aside from changing allegiance to a team with an established elite quarterback or an up-and-comer with potential to be one, there is no cure for QBE.

You can make yourself more comfortable this Sunday when Wilson is at Reliant Stadium by closing your eyes or looking away from the television screen when the Seahawks have the ball.

If you must watch, on those occasions when Wilson deftly spins out of a tackle and makes a dazzling play on the run - and he will - do not watch the replays.

When Wilson does something Schaub can't do - and he will - do not focus on the fact he had a higher passer rating and ESPN Total Quarterback Rating than Schaub last year and has higher ones this year.

Third-round steal

When the television announcers mention Wilson was just a third-round draft pick - and they will - don't think about how the Seahawks drafted Wilson one slot before the Texans grabbed guard Brandon Brooks. Instead, imagine the QBE in Jacksonville, whose Jaguars drafted a punter five picks before Wilson was taken.

Oh, and if Schaub throws a pick-six for the third straight game - he might - and you shout out "Keenum!" turn off your television and go check yourself in to a hospital.

Tell the emergency room staff that you have QBE and have lost your mind.

Listen to The Rush with Jerome Solomon and Dave Tepper weekdays from noon-2 p.m. on ESPN 97.5 FM.