Reggie Bush participates in Jonathan Vilma's interview session.

Most Overrated Saint
This one’s easy. Reggie Bush is one of the most talented players in the NFL. His combination of size, speed and athleticism is nearly unprecedented. Still, he’s hardly a vital cog in the Saints offense. He hasn’t had more than 100 yards rushing or receiving individually all season. The two games Bush didn’t play, the Saints scored 38 points both times.

Bush is the backup to Pierre Thomas, yet with the amount of publicity he gets, you would think he’s a cross between Barry Sanders and Devin Hester. He is at times a game-breaking punt returner with the Cardinals playoff game as an example. Nearly as often, he’s a special teams liability, as his key fumble in the NFC title game showed. Bush is a free agent at the end of the year and likely won’t return to New Orleans. The Saints front office clearly realizes that Bush’s production is not worth his lofty price tag.

Most Underrated Saint
With respect to Darren Sharper, Jonathan Vilma is the heart and soul of the New Orleans defense. From his middle linebacker position, he makes all the defensive calls for a much-improved unit. He was defensive rookie of the year with the Jets in 2004, but for some reason has been undervalued since then. The Jets ended up trading him in 2007 to the Saints for a fourth-round pick after no other team wanted him.

Since he arrived in New Orleans, Vilma has led the Saints in tackles and changed the league-wide perception that New Orleans D is soft. Players like Sharper and defensive end Bobby McCray seem to receive most of the credit for the turnaround, but Vilma will have a chance to make his mark Sunday on the ultimate stage.

Most Intriguing Stat
37.8 points. This is the average number of points the Saints scored in their so-called biggest games of the year. When New Orleans played the Eagles, Jets and Giants early in the season, the Patriots late in the season and the Vikings in the playoffs, those teams were all supposed to shut down the Saints' trickery and beat up their porous defense. The Saints responded to these predictions with dominant performances.

The Super Bowl is obviously different from a midseason game in the Superdome. It’s tough to predict how any team will play, as past performances are not necessarily indicative. What this stat does tell you, though, is that the Saints are not scared of being the underdog. In fact, they likely relish it. The fact is, every time they’ve been doubted this year, their offense hasn’t just been successful, it has exploded. These numbers should be a wakeup call to Colts fans who think what’s happened in the playoffs so far will automatically continue Sunday.

-- TOMMY ALTER
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