Most Overrated Colt
I think most people have come to the consensus that Joseph Addai just isn’t very good, but for those of you still in love with the man, it’s time to give up. He hasn’t hit 1,000 yards since 2007, which was probably his best year as a pro. And Addai has never even been that good: His best season in terms of yardage was 2006, his rookie year, when he rushed for 1,081 yards.

So why did everyone draft him in the first round of fantasy football in 2007 and 2008? No one really knows.

Another reason why all fantasy owners that drafted Addai in an early round should kick themselves: The Colts’ running game is completely irrelevant. Peyton Manning and this pass offense is basically unstoppable, and establishing the run is completely unnecessary for Indianapolis. Interestingly enough, the Colts were last in the league in rushing offense this year, yet were still the seventh-highest scoring team in the NFL.

Anyone who says the Colts need to establish the run game with Addai to win is mistaken. Their offense would still be able to move the ball if Curtis Painter played running back. And lastly, even if the Colts decide to run the ball, Donald Brown might even be better than Addai. Plus, Mike Hart may even garner a few carries.

I don’t think Addai is still considered a good player by the masses. But the hype he gets from some still classifies him as an overrated player in my mind.

Most Underrated Colt
Overall, Reggie Wayne is not an underrated player. He is justly classified as one of the top receivers in the league, but not in the very highest group with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Andre Johnson.

But Wayne has generated very little talk this week. Sure, Pierre Garcon has been in the spotlight after catching 11 passes against the Jets, and because of his Haitian heritage. But as far as I’m concerned, no one on the Saints can cover Wayne one-on-one.

In the AFC Championship, Wayne was essentially taken out of the game by Darrelle Revis, who limited the Colts’ No. 1 receiver to only three catches for 55 yards. But Revis is the league’s best

cornerback, and the Saints do not feature anyone in the secondary close to Revis’ level.

The Jets had the luxury of covering Wayne one-on-one, while the Saints will likely have the shadow him with a safety. If Wayne doesn’t make a direct impact on this game, he will at least allow for Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Dallas Clark to find open seams in the defense.

Wayne is not an underrated player in the classic sense. But within the context of the Colts with everyone talking about Manning, Garcon, Clark and Dwight Freeney’s ankle, Indy's best receiver has quietly entered the Super Bowl seemingly overlooked by many.

Saints X-Factor
Dwight Freeney’s ankle. You probably didn’t expect the Saints X-Factor in Super Bowl XLIV to be a player for the Colts, much less a player’s body part. But Freeney's status will have a huge impact on how New Orleans attacks the Colts’ defense.

Over the past few years, Freeney has been one of the best pass rushing defensive ends in the game. The defensive end’s speed and agility is probably unmatched by nearly every pass rusher in the league, and was tied for third in the NFL this season with 13.5 sacks. If he is severely limited by the torn ligaments in his ankle or, in the unlikely case, doesn’t play at all, it will likely prove to be a big detriment to Indianapolis’ defense. The strongest asset of the Colts’ defense is their strong pass rush, led by speedy defensive ends Freeney and Robert Mathis.

Without Freeney at 100 percent, the Saints will be able to avoid a double team, and the Colts will be forced to blitz more often. Leaving fewer men in coverage is never ideal against an offense like New Orleans’, which will spread the field to attack the Colts’ already depleted secondary.

Prediction
Super Bowl XLIV between the Colts and Saints has been one of the most difficult Super Bowls in the past few years to predict. Last year, the Steelers appeared to be the superior team to the Cardinals, and the year before the Patriots were clearly better than the Giants (clearly). In the 2007 game, the Colts were a clear favorite over the Bears, and the results translated to the field.

This year both teams have many of the same strengths and weaknesses. Everything points to a high-scoring affair, and I think both offenses will have great success.

But who will pull through in the end? I’ve wrestled with myself on this one for the past two weeks. Everyone seems to be picking the Colts, which leads me to lean toward the Saints. Then I remembered why I am picking Indianapolis to win Super Bowl XLIV.

I like 6-5, 230-pound quarterbacks with a laser-rocket arm.

Two words: Peyton Manning. He has been unstoppable for this entire season, and there is no way that the Saints are going to be able to slow him down. He makes his reads quicker than any quarterback in the NFL, and a Super Bowl victory on Sunday will convince many people that he is the best quarterback in league history.

The guy just doesn’t make mistakes, and I can’t really see the Saints forcing any turnovers. New Orleans will score on the Colts, and the game will go down to the final minutes. But in a close contest on the biggest stage, there is probably no one I trust more to deliver a victory than Manning. And when the game is close at the end, everyone will know that Peyton hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is just a few minutes away. Colts 38, Saints 34.

-- STANLEY KAY

Prediction II
With two All-World quarterbacks on the field this Sunday, the Super Bowl will likely be decided by whatever defense can come up with more big plays. The Saints Darren Sharper-led secondary clearly has more turnover potential, especially if Sedrick Ellis and Will Smith can disturb Peyton Manning’s timing.

The Colts' fairly anonymous secondary will be overmatched by the Saints' talented core of receivers, and if Dwight Freeney is anything less than 100 percent, the Indianapolis pass rush won’t be able to get to Drew Brees. Expect the threat of Reggie Bush to keep the Colts linebackers a step off balance and open up some big plays in the middle of the field for Jeremy Shockey and Dave Thomas. Saints 35, Colts 27.

-- NICK PERUFFO
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com