Watching the Saints' emotional victory over the Falcons on Monday night, one thing became abundantly clear to me: I am glad I am not a Houston Texans fan.
While Reggie Bush hasn't been All-World like many expected after the Saints drafted him No. 2 overall in last April's NFL draft, he has unquestionably outperformed the player the Texans drafted before him, Mario Williams.
Many compared the Texans decision to draft Williams over Bush to the Portland Trail Blazers' decision in the 1984 NBA draft to select Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.
Bush has re-energized a city and a fallen franchise, helping the Saints to an improbable 3-0 record and first place in the NFC South. The Saints have a two-game lead over the preseason NFC favorite Carolina Panthers, and a three-game lead over the NFC South defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mario Williams, however, hasn't been so successful. Williams, with his uninspiring play, has funneled his team to an 0-3 record and an NFL worst 98 points allowed.
Through three games, Bush has compiled modest stats, accumulating 322 total yards. While those are certainly not All-Pro numbers, Bush's versatility has created problems for opposing defenses. The Saints can line him up at tailback, spelling two-time Pro Bowler Deuce McAllister, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last year. Or the Saints can split Bush out wide, forcing a possible mismatch with a linebacker attempting to cover him. Bush has even lined up at punt returner, returning seven punts for a modest 8.3 yard average.
The Texans, similarly, have tried to use Mario Williams both at defensive end and defensive tackle. This has been a mistake, as Williams has totaled just eight tackles in three games. No sacks, no forced fumbles, no deflections.
In fact, Williams' play has been so atrocious and apathetic that Texans head coach Gary Kubiak called him out after their 31-15 week three loss at home against Washington. Kubiak said he was disappointed in Williams' play, and that he had not progressed that week.
The field isn't the only place a player makes a difference for a team. Off the field, Reggie Bush has made more of a positive impact than Mario Williams has, both for his team and his community. New Orleans has embraced Reggie Bush, anointing him the savior for a team that has just one playoff victory in 39 years of existence.
The people of New Orleans, as well as the Gulf South, now have something to take their minds off of the extensive rebuilding process they are undergoing. Even if it is only a game, and even if the importance of professional sports seems trivial in the aftermath of Katrina, no price can be set on the resurrection of hope and pride. A perfect testament to this resurrection was the 70,000 Saints fans who rocked the Superdome on Monday Night Football.
On the flip side is Houston, a city in a state as passionate about football as any other, who had the excitement and anticipation of Reggie Bush's arrival, and now must suffer through another losing season with a defense that is on pace to shatter the NFL record for yards allowed in a season.
The Portland Trail Blazers still haven't won a championship in the 23 years since its selection of Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.
