T.J. Yates
In 2011, the Houston Texans were coming off back-to-back AFC South championships, finishing the regular season with an 11-5 record. However, both quarterback Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart suffered season-ending injuries, forcing rookie quarterback T.J. Yates to take over as the starter. Surprisingly, Yates and the Texans defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10. But let’s pump the brakes, because Yates did very little to contribute to the victory.
Texans star running back Arian Foster rushed for 153 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Andy Dalton did everything he could to lose the game for the Bengals, by tossing 3 interceptions and failing to reach the end zone once. In the six seasons following his 2011 postseason appearance, Yates has only started four regular season games, with zero playoff appearances.