With the Super Bowl rapidly approaching, TNJN.com sports editor Cliff Chartrand and assistant sports editor Grant Ramey took some time to exchange their thoughts on the big game. Find out their answers to several of the big questions heading into Super Sunday here.

How intriguing is this Super Bowl Match-up?

Ramey: It's intriguing in the fact that it's Manning vs. Brees. It's intriguing in the fact that it's two teams who combined to go 26-for-26 before losing. It's intriguing that it's the never-been-there-before Saints against the Super Bowl XLI Champ with a rookie coach. It's intriguing in the fact that Dwight Freeney's ankle may make this game a toss-up. It's intriguing in the fact that it's Peyton's perennial champs against Archie's perennial losers. It's intriguing in the fact that it could be the two biggest dynasties of the new decade meeting in the first Super Bowl of the new decade.

Chartrand: Yeah, we're on the same page. I'm more excited for this Super Bowl than any that have been played in my lifetime, with the exception of the one the Titans played in. Sounds like you're pretty much in the same boat. I'm sure the Bears Super Bowl appearance was bigger for you, but if you're favorite team isn't playing in the Super Bowl, this is as good as it gets. These were THE two best teams all season. There's no arguing that. This is the first Super Bowl that pits the No. 1 seeds from both conferences since the 1993 season. That's how intriguing this one is. With that said, the actual game has a long way to go to match the past two we've had. But on paper it can't get any better than this.

Ramey: I'm not sure it ever gets better than the undefeated, untouchable team (Patriots headed into Super Bowl XLII; Ivan Drag) being slayed by the mega-under dog (Eli and the Giants; Rocky). This game has so much pregame hype that I'm more worried, if anything, the game on Sunday won't won't live up to the game on paper from the two weeks prior.

Chartrand: That's why I said on paper this is the best game we've had going into it. I honestly see the no way the game can live up to Pats-Giants or Steelers-Cardinals. Last year's Super Bowl was undoubtedly the best I've ever seen when you consider everything that went on (Harrison's INT return before the half, Fitzgerald's go-ahead score, the ridiculous game-winning catch by Holmes). If this game comes close to those two then it's lived up to the hype.

What is the key to the game?

Ramey: I'll give it three keys: 1. Saints gotta show up. 2. Freeney's ankle. 3. The Peyton factor.
 
The Saints can't get caught up in the bells and whistles of the Super Bowl. Given that it's the first in franchise history, given that it's shortly removed from the Katrina tragedy, given everything, the Saints have to put on the blinders. They must show up and play the brand of football that got them to 13-0 and eventually to Super Bowl XLIV.

Dwight Freeney's ankle, as advertised, is going to be huge. The x-factor in this match up is the strength of the Colts defense and the mediocrity of the Saints defense. Freeney is a major factor for the Indy defense, and without Freeney's speed off the edge it may equalize the two defensive units.

Manning is going to play well. End of story. The question is how well will he play. How well will New Orleans and Sean Peyton be prepared for Manning. He torched one of the league's best defenses in the second half of the AFC Championship against the Jets. You have to mix up looks, coverages and defensive fronts constantly (no exaggeration, constantly) to keep Peyton on his toes. You can't make Manning guess, he simply prepares too well. But you have to put forth your best effort to confuse him.

Chartrand: See I think Peyton playing an outstanding game is a given. Brees playing well is, too. Both guys will throw all day, and I don't think either defense will be able to do anything about it. Especially without Freeney at 100 percent to get after Brees, and even if he plays he's not going to be full speed. I think you'll hear people say whoever runs the ball better will win, but I don't buy that either. Neither team is going to run because they're not going to have to.

To me it comes down to the other stuff. Who wins the coaching battle between Sean Payton and Peyton Manning? And yes, I meant to say Peyton Manning, not Jim Caldwell. We all know who really runs that team. Ultimately, and I know this is a cliche but I truly believe it, whoever gets big plays from the special teams will win. Which team gets a big play in the return game? Which team can hit the 50-yard field goal? I think I know the answer to those questions, but I won't ruin my pick yet.

So let's have it, who is going to win, and what player will be named MVP?

Ramey: Give me Saints as the winner. Reggie Bush as MVP. Why? Because I don't want to be the rest of America and say Colts and Manning. This will either be the end of Reggie Bush's career, or it will be the beginning of his career. Stranger things have happened. If Bush can't put together a solid outing after scoring three touchdowns in the playoffs thus far, he'll never recover. Saints 34, Colts 28

Chartrand: You stole a little bit of my thunder there, and to be honest there's been more people predicting a Saints win this week than I ever expected. I'm still going there, though. I think Bush breaks a big punt return at some point, and Garrett Hartley's ability to hit a long field goal over Matt Stover's inability to get the ball to the uprights from further than 45 yards will be big at some point.

I think everyone expects the winning quarterback to take the MVP honors, but I'm going to go off the board here, too. We've seen a little bit of a recent trend of the receiver with the biggest game hoisting that trophy over his quarterback (Deion Branch over Tom Brady, Santonio Holmes over Ben Roethlisberger). The trouble is predicting just which wideout has the big game. I'll go homer on you. Saints win 34-31, Robert Meachem named MVP. Yup, I said that.